Casper Abortion Clinic Arson Suspect Strikes Plea Deal
Woman accused of lighting 2022 fire faces up to $250k fine, jail time
- Published In: Criminal Justice
- Last Updated: Jul 12, 2023
Lorna Roxanne Green has submitted a plea agreement in response to her felony charge of intentionally setting fire to Wellspring Health Access, a Casper abortion clinic, in May 2022. (Courtesy photo from Wellspring Health Access)
By Ellen Fike
Special to the Wyoming Truth
A young woman accused of intentionally setting fire to an abortion clinic in Casper submitted a plea agreement on Monday, according to court records.
Lorna Roxanne Green’s plea agreement was not immediately available to the public, and a spokeswoman for the U.S. District Attorney’s Office of Wyoming did not respond to a request for more information.
Green, 22, was indicted last month on a felony charge of arson of a facility engaged in interstate commerce, Wellspring Health Access. She faces anywhere from five to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The FBI investigates violent crimes committed against reproductive health care providers and facilities in accordance with the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act of 1994.
Green allegedly set fire to the clinic on May 25, 2022, causing $300,000 in damage and delaying the opening of Wellspring by nearly a year. The clinic, which opened in May 2023, provides surgical and medical abortions, OB/GYN services and gender-affirming care.
Green was arrested in March after Casper police received several tips linking her to the crime. According to a probable cause affidavit, Green was investigated for several reasons: she owns the same 2007 Corolla that the arson suspect was seen driving; her body type is similar to that of the suspect; and she also owns a pair of shoes like the ones the suspect was seen wearing in surveillance video captured the night of the fire.
When police interviewed Green in March, she confirmed she had been at the scene of the crime, the affidavit stated.
“Green stated that she did not like abortion and was having nightmares which she attributed to her anxiety about the abortion clinic, so she decided to burn the building,” the affidavit read.
At the time of the arson, Green lived in Laramie. The day before the fire, according to the affidavit, Green purchased gas cans and aluminum pans at Wal-Mart, and after filling them with gasoline, she drove immediately to the Casper clinic.
Police said Green detailed breaking into the clinic, spreading the gas around the building and then fleeing once the flames began to spread “too fast.”
Green told police that she later showered to remove the smell of gasoline from her body and washed the clothing she wore to the clinic multiple times. Investigators later found clothing in her room that matched the description of what the suspect was seen wearing on the surveillance video.
It was not immediately clear when Green’s next hearing would take place.