Second degree murder charges have been filed by the Lincoln County Attorney’s Office following the stabbing death of a New Zealand man who was working on a sheep ranch near Kemmerer.

Court documents state that on Monday, February 20 at approximately 1:02 a.m. the Lincoln County Dispatch Center in Kemmerer received a call that a man had been stabbed at 1560 County Road 310. The victim, later identified as Andrew Jacob Moore, was transported to South Lincoln Medical Center where he succumbed to his injury, specifically a deep stab wound to his left side. Moore, a citizen of New Zealand, was reported to have been in Lincoln County working on the Taliaferro Ranch shearing sheep with a crew of sheep shearers who travel throughout the United States.

Shortly after the incident it was reported that the suspect in the stabbing, Monique Sullivan, who was also part of the sheep shearers crew from New Zealand, was transported to South Lincoln Medical Center following a self-inflicted knife wound to her wrist. While in the hospital Sullivan stated that she had stabbed Moore. She was placed under arrest and later transported to the University of Utah Medical Center for more comprehensive medical treatment. Sullivan has since been transported back to Kemmerer and is scheduled for her initial court hearing Thursday.

The ensuing investigation found that Sullivan and Moore, who were in a relationship together, had been heavily drinking the night of the incident along with other members of their party. Sullivan told police that she and Moore and not been getting alone during the day. That night while drinking the two eventually got into an argument where Sullivan stated she went “into a rage” and grabbed a knife off the counter, making jabbing motions towards Moore. Sullivan told investigators that Moore was standing closer to her than she had estimated so she ended up stabbing him with the knife. According to court documents Sullivan said Moore had not been physically abusive and she was not in fear when she grabbed the knife, she was just angry.