In a shocking turn of events, Lorna Roxanne Green, an abortion opponent, has been sentenced to five years in prison and three years probation for her involvement in setting fire to the Wellspring Health Access facility in Casper, Wyoming. The arson attack, which occurred in May of 2022, caused extensive damage to the building, ultimately delaying its opening by nearly a year.

Green, a mechanical engineering student at Casper College, expressed regret and took full responsibility for her actions during the plea hearing in July. She admitted to breaking into the building, pouring gasoline around the inside, and igniting the fire. Court documents revealed that she purchased gas cans and aluminum pans the day before the incident, matching both security footage and a witness account.

Investigators initially struggled to identify the perpetrator, but a reward increase to $15,000 in March led to several tipsters identifying Green. This critical information eventually led to her arrest and subsequent guilty plea. The sentencing hearing, in which Green faced a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, concluded with Judge Alan Johnson imposing the mandatory minimum sentence of five years.

During the investigation, Green revealed that her opposition to abortion, coupled with anxiety and nightmares about the clinic, motivated her to commit the arson. The incident took place just weeks before the facility was slated to open, further exacerbating the delay. The Wellspring Health Access clinic, which eventually opened in April, provides both surgical and pill abortions, making it the first full-service abortion clinic in Wyoming in at least a decade.

Wyoming's abortion laws have been a topic of controversy in recent years, with legislation seeking to make abortion illegal in the state. However, a judge has temporarily blocked the implementation of these new laws pending the resolution of a lawsuit challenging their constitutionality. Additionally, one of the new laws would ban any drugs used to induce abortions, marking the nation's first explicit ban on abortion pills.

While abortion remains legal in Wyoming, the lack of easily accessible services has forced many women in the state to travel to neighboring states, such as Colorado, to seek the procedure. The opening of the Wellspring Health Access clinic was seen as a crucial step in addressing this issue and providing comprehensive reproductive healthcare options for Wyoming residents.

As Green begins her prison sentence, the community is left grappling with the repercussions of her actions. The arson attack not only caused significant property damage but also disrupted the timely provision of essential healthcare services. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the passionate and deeply divided views surrounding the issue of abortion, and the lengths some individuals may go to express their opposition.