Lorna Roxanne Green delayed Wyoming’s first full-service abortion clinic for nearly a year after setting it on fire.
Lorna Roxanne Green, an abortion opponent, was sentenced to five years in prison and three years of probation for setting fire to the Wellspring Health Access clinic in Casper, Wyoming, in May 2022. Green, who had pleaded guilty to arson in July, expressed remorse during her court appearance and took full responsibility for the attack. Despite facing a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, Green received the mandatory minimum sentence.
The fire, which occurred just weeks before the clinic was set to open, caused extensive damage to the building, delaying its opening for almost a year. Green admitted to breaking into the clinic, pouring gasoline inside, and igniting the fire. Investigators noted that Green had purchased gasoline and aluminum pans prior to the fire, and she used a rock to break a window and enter the building. Surveillance footage and a witness corroborated her confession.
Green, a mechanical engineering student at Casper College, revealed to investigators that her opposition to abortion and the anxiety and nightmares caused by the clinic’s impending opening led her to commit the crime. Although Green did not express anti-abortion views on her social media, she stated that she was strongly against abortion. The damage caused by the fire and the subsequent delay in the clinic’s opening underscored the severity of Green’s actions.
As part of her sentence, Green was also ordered to pay restitution, the amount of which will be determined later. The arson was considered a direct attack on the healthcare facility, which was poised to provide much-needed abortion services in the state. The case highlighted the ongoing tension surrounding abortion rights in the U.S., particularly in states like Wyoming, where access to abortion services remains limited.
