Former Manderson police chief sentenced to nine more days in jail, probation

A circuit court judge in Big Horn County has accepted the terms of a plea agreement that was struck by prosecutors and Manderson’s former chief of police.

Brandon “B.J.” Kidgell pled no contest on Monday, July 7, to one count of interference with a police officer and one count of refusing to perform his duties in a criminal case. Both are misdemeanors.

The case against Kidgell stems from the October 2024 arrest of Dulcie Vanvoorhies of Manderson, with whom he was romantically involved at the time. Vanvoorhies told deputies she knew of a prior police K9 search at her residence before it occurred because Kidgell had tipped her off.

The count of interference with a police officer carries an underlying sentence of 180 days in jail, with 165 suspended and 15 remaining to serve. Kidgell had previously served six days and was sentenced to serve nine more, all of them in the Washakie County jail, according to Big Horn County Attorney Marcia Bean.

For count four, which was refusing to perform his duties in a criminal case, Kidgell received a 90-day underlying jail sentence that was also suspended in favor of six months supervised probation. A $500 fine was suspended pending completion of his probation.

Kidgell’s probation will end July 7, 2026. He intends to spend the next year in North Dakota, Bean said. If he follows through, the probation will be unsupervised. If he returns to Wyoming for any reason, it will revert to supervised.

The sentence also requires Kidgell to stay away from Vanvoorhies and her husband.

If he does not live up to the terms of probation, Kidgell could face up to 180 days in jail.