Wendy D. Coe

A Cody woman who stands accused of trying to hire a hitman has had her case put on hold, after her defense attorney raised concerns about her mental fitness.

Wendy D. Coe, who turns 56 this year, faces a felony count of solicitation to commit first-degree murder. Prosecutors allege Coe told multiple people — including an undercover agent — that she wanted her daughter’s partner killed in late 2023.

The agent posed as a would-be hitman, and charging documents allege Coe told him that she wanted the partner “gone.” The man’s death could be staged to look like a drug overdose, she reportedly suggested, and said a shooting “works for me.”

However, the documents also say Coe never actually struck a deal. She allegedly told the undercover officer she couldn’t afford the $10,000 price he’d suggested and declined his offer to do the job for a lower amount, charging documents allege.

Coe pleaded not guilty to the charge in early 2024. Her court-appointed defense attorney, Sam Krone, said then that she had “several defenses.”

The case had most recently been set for a mid-April trial, but on March 11, Krone requested a competency evaluation. He wrote that “an examination of the defendant’s current mental state and fitness to proceed [is] warranted.”

At a pretrial conference on Thursday, Deputy Park County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Eichele asked what had changed — noting the case had been pending for some time and that Coe is “out of custody, is employed [and] seems to be functioning.”

Krone explained that his concerns arose only recently. Without going into privileged details, Krone said he and a defense investigator met with Coe earlier this month and “had some concerns with some of her behavior and her answers.”

District Court Judge Bill Simpson immediately paused the case until a state expert completes a mental evaluation.

“Hopefully Ms. Coe can get the help that she needs, or doesn’t need, and we can come back in and determine whether she’s competent or fit to proceed,” Simpson said.

Coe has already served nearly seven months in jail, as she was arrested in December 2023 and wasn’t able to post a $50,000 surety bond until last July.

While incarcerated last spring, Coe was briefly charged with a misdemeanor count of unlawful contact, for allegedly slapping a fellow inmate. However, charging documents say the other inmate reportedly incited the contact by spraying Coe in the face with a bottle of cleaning chemicals, and Eichele quickly dropped the case.

The parties indicated Thursday that Coe has had no issues since making bail last year. Her conditions include house arrest and wearing a GPS ankle monitor.