Four adults have been issued court summonses as part of an expanding Cheyenne County investigation involving allegations that adults supplied or sold marijuana, alcohol and nicotine products to minors, including children reportedly as young as 9 years old.
Cheyenne County Undersheriff Kayla Murdock confirmed Monday, October 26, that four summonses have been issued and the investigation remains active.
What initially began as a single investigation has since expanded into several related investigations, Murdock told the Kiowa County Independent.
When asked whether the allegations involved adults selling substances to children or simply providing them, Murdock confirmed that both situations had been identified.
“Some were selling, some were just providing,” she said.
The Sheriff’s Office first publicly announced the court summonses on October 23, stating that adults had been summoned for contributing to the delinquency of minors. Additional cases were pending review by the District Attorney’s Office for possible charges.
The identities of those summoned have not been publicly disclosed in the statements provided to the newspaper. All individuals accused of crimes are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Investigation Uncovers Concerns Involving Young Children
In her October 23 announcement, Undersheriff Murdock said information obtained through several search warrants indicated that numerous children were using or had been exposed to marijuana, alcohol and nicotine products.
Some of those children, she reported, were as young as 9 years old.
Investigators also uncovered evidence that some minors were ordering substances online and having packages delivered to their homes or post office boxes.
According to Murdock, children were also sharing substances with other children, raising concerns about the extent of access and distribution among local youth.
The Undersheriff said she was working to contact parents whose children’s names appeared in information reviewed during the investigation. However, she cautioned that families should not assume their children had not been exposed simply because they had not been contacted by law enforcement.
The Sheriff’s Office encouraged parents to pay attention to their children’s online activities, including social media applications such as Snapchat, email communications and internet activity.
Murdock also indicated that investigators were exploring ways to address websites being used to obtain substances, while acknowledging the difficulty of restricting access when new websites can emerge regularly.
School District Responds to Investigation
The growing investigation has also prompted a public response from the Cheyenne County School District.
On October 19, district administrators announced a collaboration with the Sheriff’s Office to strengthen student safety and address youth vaping concerns.
In its announcement, the district reported that vape detection sensors had been installed in areas including restrooms and locker rooms, where traditional monitoring is limited. The Sheriff’s Office also donated an additional vape detection device to assist school personnel.
Murdock subsequently clarified to the Independent that the school district had installed vape detection sensors several years before the current investigation.
However, she confirmed that the ongoing investigation prompted the district’s recent public announcement about its safety measures.
The distinction is important: Although the district’s October 19 notice described the technology as part of its collaborative safety efforts, the sensors were not newly installed in response to the current investigation.
The district said the detection equipment helps administrators identify potential vaping incidents, intervene when necessary and provide education and support to students.
School officials encouraged parents to discuss the health risks of vaping and reinforce expectations about substance use.
Sheriff’s Office Issued Earlier Warning
The October 23 announcement followed an October 8 public warning from the Sheriff’s Office about increasing reports of THC and nicotine use among juveniles in Cheyenne Wells.
At that time, the department encouraged parents to speak openly with their children about vaping, peer pressure and the potential consequences of substance use.
The department suggested beginning those conversations by asking children what they were seeing or hearing about vaping, whether they had been offered products and what might help them refuse substances in uncomfortable situations.
Officials also warned that vaping devices may contain nicotine or cannabis products and that their contents cannot necessarily be identified by appearance alone.
The October 8 announcement emphasized prevention and communication, while the subsequent investigation has brought additional attention to the role adults may be playing in providing restricted substances to children.
Parents Urged to Stay Involved
Throughout the investigation, Murdock has emphasized the responsibility of adults to protect children from access to restricted substances.
“We have zero tolerance for adults who put children in danger by providing marijuana, alcohol, or nicotine,” Murdock stated in her October 23 announcement.
The Sheriff’s Office has encouraged parents to remain aware of their children’s friendships, online communications and packages arriving at their homes.
Officials also recommend keeping cannabis products, nicotine liquids and vaping devices secured and inaccessible to children.
The department’s earlier guidance stressed that changes in behavior, academic performance or sleeping patterns should prompt supportive conversations rather than immediate assumptions about substance use.
Families with concerns are encouraged to seek assistance from healthcare professionals or law enforcement when appropriate.
With four adults already summoned and several related investigations now underway, additional cases remain possible as investigators continue reviewing evidence.
Anyone with information about adults selling or providing marijuana, alcohol or nicotine products to minors is encouraged to contact the Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Office.
Contact information: Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch, 719-767-5633. For emergencies, call 911. Anonymous youth safety concerns can be reported through Safe2Tell Colorado at 877-542-7233 or www.safe2tell.org.
