Wyoming Man Accused of Blackmail While Trying to Obtain His Father’s Ashes from His Half-Sister

A Wyoming man was arrested for allegedly harassing his half-sister to try to obtain his late father’s ashes, allegedly going so far as to blackmail her into giving them up.

The Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office arrested Scott Bailey on Saturday, August 29, after receiving a report from his half-sister about harassing and threatening communication she received via voicemail, according to a police report viewed by Globe.

According to an obituary from the Sheridan Funeral Home, Scott’s late father, Albert, died on August 14, leaving behind his wife, April, his six children and three stepchildren.

According to a September 1 report from Cowboy State Daily, which obtained an affidavit outlining an incident, Scott began leaving voicemails on his half-sister’s phone shortly after their father’s death, threatening to “expose her” by revealing an “atrocious crime” he alleged she committed in their youth.

In another voicemail, Scott threatened to come to where she was and grab someone by the throat if he didn’t get the ashes. Officer Tim Kozisek wrote that Scott used “very profane language” and sounded “extremely volatile and hostile,” per the outlet.

According to Wyoming state law, when a deceased person does not leave a written will, which Albert did not, decisions over what happens to their remains fall in a distinct order to family members. The first in that line is the deceased person’s spouse — in this case, April. When asked by police, April said Albert told her explicitly that he wanted her to have his ashes.

She decided to give a portion of them to Scott’s half-sister, who told police she used them to make jewelry in honor of her late father. Scott does not have a legal claim to the ashes in any way.

Scott voluntarily came to the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office, according to Cowboy State Daily, where he was arrested and charged with two counts of blackmail after he admitted to sending the voicemails. When pressed on the “atrocious crime,” Scott reportedly described an incident from when they were children, but also stated it may have been a dream. As for the threat of violence, he characterized it as a “joke,” but police didn’t see it that way.

The outlet reports he is scheduled to appear in court on September 21.