Caleb Cegers pleads not guilty in fatal downtown Bend shooting of Taylor Wyss; trial set for January 2025
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Caleb Cegers, the 20-year-old Bend man accused of fatally shooting Redmond resident Taylor Wyss, 33, on the sidewalk outside a downtown Bend bar last August, pleaded not guilty Monday to second-degree murder and three other charges, and a Jan. 7, 2025 trial date was set in the case.
Cegers also pleaded not guilty to first-degree assault and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon. Deschutes County Circuit Judge Beth Bagley scheduled an August 19 motion hearing, a Dec. 16 trial readiness hearing and a Jan. 6, 2025 hearing on a custody issue. The 12-person jury trial is currently scheduled to begin the next day and last 10 days.
A nationwide manhunt led to the arrest of Cegers last summer near Chattanooga, Tennessee, along with his brother Dahnte Cegers, 25, who faces a charge of hindering prosecution and is due to enter a plea on Feb. 2.
Caleb Ceger’s girlfriend, Sadie Cole, who repeatedly punched a bartender at Duda’s Billiards Bar and helped Cegers get away, pleaded guilty to reduced charges last month and was sentenced to 10 days in jail and 18 months’ probation, also agreeing to testify against Cegers.
Authorities said the shooting occurred after a fight in the bar around midnight that night, and that Cegers and Cole had been asked to leave the bar for being disruptive. District Attorney Steve Gunnels said last year that based on the investigation and witness interviews, Wyss didn't start or take part in the altercation in the bar.
