SWEETWATER COUNTY, WYO – Police have charged two with the murder of a transient found dead in a rail yard last weekend.

According to Sweetwater County Sheriff Mike Lowell, a body was located by Union Pacific railroad personnel around 2:30am on Saturday, August 19. The man was identified as Eric Barrett, 26, of Royal, Arkansas. Barrett had suffered fatal trauma as a result of a fall off a train.

Later that morning, around 7am, Dennis Morley, 38, of Hood River, Oregon, and Ashley Chandler, 29, of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, were contacted near Diamondville by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office when they were reported to be trespassing on railroad property. They pair was not apprehended at that time but subsequent investigation revealed that Morley and Chandler were traveling with Barrett at the time he fell from the train.

A call went out and Morley and Chandler were again located on August 21 in Salt Lake City, Utah, by Utah Transit Authority Police. During interviews with UTA Police, Chandler and Morley admitted to traveling with Barrett, but claimed that they had fallen asleep on the train and knew only that Barrett was gone when they woke up.

On August 24, investigators developed additional information through both Morley and Chandler regarding the investigation, when both individuals contacted law enforcement in Denton County, Texas and Hot Springs, Arkansas. Morley and Chandler then both admitted that Morley had pushed Barrett from the train as it was traveling during an altercation. In the aftermath, Chandler discarded evidence linking her and Morley to Barrett prior to being contacted by Lincoln County law enforcement.

Morley was taken into custody in Denton County on a charge of involuntary manslaughter. Chandler was taken into custody in Hot Springs on a charge of accessory after the fact. Formal charges were filed against Morley and Chandler on Friday in the Rock Springs Circuit Court. If convicted, Morley faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Chandler faces a maximum of three years in prison and a fine of $3,000.

Morley and Chandler are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Arrangements are being made to extradite Morley and Chandler back to Wyoming to face the charges.