'Daddy was mad at Mommy': Man left young daughter to find dead mother 'covered in blood,' told child he 'went for a walk,' police say

A 25-year-old man in Wyoming is accused of killing the mother of his child, leaving their young daughter to discover the body and tell police that "Daddy was mad" and "Mommy's dead."

Sterling Louis Black was taken into custody on Saturday and charged with one count of second-degree murder in the slaying of 24-year-old Angelina Rose Bell, records show.

According to a news release from the Riverton Police Department, officers on the morning of March 7 responded to a report of a possible dead woman at the Ol' Wyoming Motel in the 400 block of North Federal Boulevard in Riverton.

First responders found a woman, later identified as Bell, inside one of the rooms and secured the scene while detectives began a homicide investigation.

Investigators said they immediately suspected "foul play" in Bell's death, noting that a 9 mm shell casing was located inside the room with her body. Police identified Black as the suspect in the case. He turned himself in to the authorities later that afternoon, police said.

Police released very few details, citing an ongoing investigation.

However, additional details about what investigators believe happened inside the motel room emerged in court documents obtained by Cowboy State Daily.

According to a probable cause affidavit cited by the outlet, the victim's young daughter was the one who discovered her mother's body. A 911 caller said the "little girl found her mother and was not sure if she was conscious, but could see lots of blood."

Investigators responding to the scene determined the woman had suffered an apparent gunshot wound to the face, according to the court documents.

But the most disturbing details came from the couple's young daughter, who spoke with responding officers.

"Momma's in my bathroom," the child reportedly told police.

Authorities later brought the girl to the police station, where she spoke with a victim-witness coordinator. During those conversations, the girl reportedly made several chilling statements about what had happened inside the motel room.

Among them, investigators wrote, were:

• "Daddy went for a walk."
• "Mommy has blood on her."
• "Daddy was mad at Mommy."
• "Mommy's dead."

Inside the bathroom, detectives reportedly recovered a spent 9 mm shell casing from the toilet bowl. They also found a plastic handgun case for a SAR 9 mm semiautomatic pistol, though the firearm itself was not initially located. The case contained two empty magazines, investigators said.

Bell's body was examined at the scene by the Fremont County coroner.

Bell appeared to have a bullet entry wound near the bridge of her nose next to her right eye, the affidavit reportedly said. Investigators also observed stippling — a pattern caused by gunpowder particles striking the skin — across her face, including her nose, forehead, eyes, and right cheek.

The presence of stippling and the absence of gas burns suggested the weapon was fired from "several inches to 2 feet" away, according to the affidavit.

Investigators later recovered a fired bullet on the bathroom floor in front of the vanity, and authorities noted there was no exit wound.

"Also located in the bathroom were signs of drug and alcohol use," the detective wrote.

No nearby motel guests reported hearing a gunshot or argument, investigators said.

Several hours after Bell's body was discovered, Black notified authorities he planned to turn himself in.

According to Cowboy State Daily, Black's father told police he found his son in an abandoned trailer on his property and urged him to "do what is right." The father also turned over a SAR 9 mm handgun whose serial number matched the case found in the motel room, police said.

Second-degree murder in Wyoming carries a possible sentence of 20 years to life in prison.