Authorities Investigating Lodgepole Deaths

Authorities are investigating the death of two people in Lodgepole April 19.

According to a press release from the Cheyenne County Attorney’s Office, the Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the Lodgepole Village Office at 12:24 p.m. regarding a report of elder abuse.

The investigation lead authorities to 819 Bondegaard St., the residence of Mark Arledge and Michelle Lee Marlatt-Arledge. Deputies knocked at the door, announcing their presence, to hear a female voice reply “Just a minute.” The report states deputies then heard a gunshot. Deputies entered the residence to find 51-year-old Michelle Lee Marlatt-Arledge, and 52-year-old Mark Arledge. Each were in separate rooms. Both had gunshot wounds.

The bodies were transported to Scottsbluff Thursday for autopsies.

The investigation is ongoing. A determination as to the cause of the deaths will be made at a later date, according to the press release. As of Friday morning, April 20, the Sheriff’s Office is addressing the incident as a homicide investigation.