PINEDALE—The Sublette County man who allegedly snowmobiled into a wolf and then brought it into a Western Wyoming bar for hours to amuse friends and family will fight his felony charge, sending one of the country’s highest-profile animal cruelty cases in years toward a trial.
Appearing virtually before Sweetwater County District Court Judge Richard Lavery on Monday afternoon, Cody Roberts initially ran into technological issues — his camera wasn’t working for over five minutes, and the judge was requiring him to appear on video. Eventually, aided by Laramie attorney Rob Piper, who was also appearing by video, Roberts got his computer camera functioning.
The legal proceedings lasted only about 15 minutes. Roberts told the judge he understood the charges being brought against him, which Lavery read from an amended indictment.
Roberts “knowingly and with intent to cause undue suffering” … “tortured or tormented” a “male gray wolf,” the judge read from the charging document.
“How do you plead?” Lavery asked.
“Not guilty,” Roberts said.
Sublette County Prosecuting Attorney Clayton Melinkovich, who spearheaded the case against Roberts, did not speak in any depth about his case or foreshadow his legal arguments.
On Feb. 29, 2024, Roberts brought the injured wolf into the Green River Bar in Daniel and tormented the muzzled animal for hours. The longtime resident, who owns a trucking business, was drinking and made a joke out of the wolf’s plight, according to an eyewitness. But the young wolf’s languid behavior suggested that it was suffering from massive internal injuries after reportedly being legally struck with a snowmobile until it was “barely conscious,” according to state officials.
The resulting outrage was intense, inflamed both by photos that emerged from the night and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s initial response. Wardens fined him $250 for possession of warm-blooded wildlife instead of forcing him to make a mandatory court appearance and face possible stiffer penalties.
By mid-April 2024, Robert’s treatment of the wolf had drawn intense scorn and indignation, which filtered in from around the world. The online outrage was so overwhelming that the state of Wyoming had to cease tourism promotion on its social media channels.
Monday’s arraignment was the first time that Roberts had publicly addressed his actions. WyoFile has made repeated attempts to interview him without success.
During his Monday arraignment, neither Roberts, nor his attorney, Piper, spoke about the events from spring 2024.
Shortly after the treatment of the wolf blew up in the media, Sublette County law enforcement officials made it clear they disagreed with Game and Fish’s interpretation of Wyoming’s animal cruelty statutes. The state agency maintained that those laws — which carry more severe penalties — didn’t apply because of the wolf’s “predatory animal” status. The county opened its own probe that stayed active for more than a year, examining whether Roberts should be charged with felony animal cruelty.
Ultimately, Melinkovich turned the decision to indict Roberts over to a grand jury — a rarely used tool in the state court system that gave the county attorney subpoena power and the ability to examine witnesses who weren’t otherwise willing to testify.
The grand jury proceedings last summer occurred behind closed doors and all associated records are sealed. On Aug. 20, the 12-person panel returned a “true bill” resulting in the indictment against Roberts, charging him with a felony that could carry up to two years in jail.
The county’s prosecuting attorney did not ask Lavery that Roberts be booked into custody, nor did he ask that Roberts post a monetary bond to remain out of jail.
“I see no concerns with Mr. Roberts not remaining or returning to the area to face these charges at trial,” Melinkovich said.
Roberts’ trial is scheduled for 9 a.m. March 9.
Although the first step in the felony charges against Roberts was held virtually, a video feed of the proceedings was streamed at the Sublette County District Court.
Only five people were present in the room, and four of them were journalists. The only other member of the public who showed up was Peggy Bell, who said she was Robert’s middle school librarian.
“I support Cody 100%,” Bell said.
I cannot believe Cody the monster pled not guilty. Obviously he thinks his psychopathic behavior toward the young female wolf is just fine. Now we have to wait until March to see any semblance of justice done, if we are lucky that the jury in that cursed county finds him guilty. Maybe in the meantime, karma will somehow touch his ugly soul and he will get what he deserves.
I find him despicable. A truly despicable human. To enjoy torturing an animal (or living creature) is a sick, psychotic illness. He needs mental health surveillance for the rest of his life. One big loser in life.
Granted that it is legal to kill wolves in Wyoming, and it’s legal to run them down with a snowmobile….but it’s not legal to torture and torment a wolf. A quick search of Wyoming statutes shows this.
Felony cruelty to animals; penalty. (ii) Knowingly, and with intent to cause death or undue suffering, beats with cruelty, tortures, torments or mutilates an animal. (ii) Imprisonment for not more than two (2) years, a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00), or both.
Fact is, Roberts is the real predator. Someone who will do what he did to that wolf, will do the same to a human. It’s an established pattern in criminal psychology. Anyone who rationalizes Wyoming “law” to justify depraved torture and savagery isn’t thinking clearly, to say the least.
It’s not about whether it was “legal” or whether he “paid his debt to the judicial system”. Cody Roberts has a problem. He’s clearly not the only one in rural Wyoming who does. Jail won’t help him, but it might save another wild animal, or human, from going through something similarly awful and sadistic.
Ultimately, Roberts needs psychological evaluation. The ‘boys will be boys’ defense doesn’t cut it. It might be normal down in Sublette County, but the rest of us don’t want this kind of person lurking around, with his penchant for casual acts of awful cruelty.
Extreme prejudice toward wild dogs because of a bogus “predator” label, promoted by beef ranchers, is an unfortunate sign of a degenerate age. Wake up, Wyoming. Wolves are the victims. Not the cattle industry. And people who’ve suffered trauma in their lives deserve help. Including Cody Roberts. After jail time.
Roberts should be in prison for unspeakable animal cruelty. It has been proven many times that the next action a sick person like this would commit is murder. Shame on Wyoming.
this wasn’t his first time torturing a wolf this is the only time he got caught and he needs to be punished
do you know anything further about previous incidents? i’m doing research on this for an important cause! thank you!
I 100% feel that any human that carries out ax on any animal that are inhumane and cruel should be punished. There is a way to do things humanely and not torture and be cruel to animals.
This is a perfect example of the general ignorance and cruelty that pollutes so much of the United States. People who are so small, pathetic, self-entitled and thoughtless – absolutely disgusting. Our country is going downhill at warp speed and the leadership in the Oval Office is directly to blame. Filth.
David, it sounds like you have him convicted of being a felon. I would remind you in Wyoming you can shoot and kill a wolf year round on site without a license. You can run them over with a snowmobile. What I’m saying is according to Wyoming law at the time he did this it was not a felony. Having a wild animal in your possession that is alive same as having a live walleye that you might release somewhere else there is laws against that you need to understand Wyoming law. They’re saying cruelty to animals at the time the Wolf is a predator. You can set traps and catch their foot and have them in agony for days depending if you check your traps or not, and it’s legal. Wyoming legislature wants all wolves to be killed in this state and they don’t care how. I’m not defending what this guy did. I think he’s a flipping idiot. I’m just saying what it is in Wyoming and I think he will not be charged as a felon.
Running over a predatory animal with a snowmobile when Mr. Roberts did this was legal. Harboring the animal the Game and Fish fined him for it. It seems like he paid the debt to the judicial system, and that part should be over.I think the guy was just being a guy thought it would be funny. Of course it was very stupid and cruel and I think turning him into a felon over this is also very stupid and cruel.
No, he committed a felony by doing what he did, he needs to pay that price and I hope he gets the maximum sentence. There’s a whole slew of adjectives I can think of besides describing him as “a guy that thought it was funny” but I can’t get away with posting that. He is a cruel human being, it wasn’t funny or even close.
How do we help get this man locked up. This law needs to be changed. This is horrible. This is horrible animal cruelty and it needs to be treated as such.
Well, the news made it to Austria as well.
I am honestly stunned that in a developed country is legal to trap or intentionally run over a wolf with a snowmobile. I tought it possible just in 3rd world countries.
And I’m as conservative as it gets, but this has nothing to do with conservatism, it’s just barbaric and insane. Unworthy for a civilised country.
Not sure what will happen in March, but in Austria the guy would be locked into a metal asylum.
My grandpa hunted as well, for food. Never to torture animals. That’s insane.
What needs to happen first is that the state needs to outlaw this method of “hunting” predators. Striking an animal with a motorized vehicle is allowed! Pathetic! It’s illegal to hunt down an elk with a car- should be the same for coyotes, wolves, mountain lions, etc. Stop this medieval approach!
While folks weep and wail for the wolf, there is n concern for the animals the wolf killed. The painj and suffering of the wolf is concerneing, but totally destroying a mans lijfe for it is much worse.
False equivalency
You are right, the wolf has no monetary value. The livestock he kills can be hundreds for sheep or thousands for cows or horses. The wolves value is his ability to kill orcripple another persons livestock or pets.
Sorry, enough with this ridiculous argument. Wolves were here before ranchers were. Humans are the ones messing up the ecosystem, not the wolves. No sympathy for this absurd notion that somehow the human presence should take priority over the natural order.
Wolf predation accounts for .0001% of livestock losses annually. Almost 100% of losses are due to weather, disease, and sometimes calving problems. The false focus on wolves is an excuse to continue a tradition of sadism and hate and fear. No sane person would spend a moment’s time thinking about something that caused .0001% of their problems! The focus on wolves is emotional, not logical. Many ranchers are brought up by their parents to hate them and to consider that hate almost holy and a badge of honor. To become unafraid of wolves and focus on the real economic problems ranchers face requires courage; it’s always easier to go along with crowd and not risk your friends or family disapproving. But it’s the right thing to do. These atrocities are commonplace and have gone on for far too long. Now the world is watching and there will be consequences on many different levels if Wyoming doesn’t mature into a more ethical state with regard to fur-bearers.
Why is it taking so long to put Roberts behind bars? That’s where he belongs. Or better yet torture him like he did to the wolf.
I believe that there was a murder prosecution that took the prosecutor’s time and attention away from this case. I think that the county attorney addressed this delay a few months ago if you’d like to research his press statements.
Not an excuse—but they don’t have the resources to pursue all charges at once.
The live feed was not working properly. All I was able to access was a black box and no audio. Several others I know who were interested had the same experience.
The streaming feed was not working properly. All that appeared on my computer screen was a black box and no audio. I checked with several others interested in listening to the live stream and none were able to access it.
Another factor: the wolf episode damaged Wyoming ‘s reputation and tourist industry. And to the world made it’s citizens appear to be heartless barbarians..
What does it mean to be legally struck by a snowmobile?!? I need clarification here
It was a young female wolf, barely a year old. Not sure if the error was the judge or the reporting. Just thought it was important to have the facts.
Where does that information come from? I also thought she was female, but I heard them say he was a young male.
It’s good, very good that this dude is being held accountable but damn, I’m tired of looking at his goofy face!
Lex, I agree with you completely. One day I will be so happy to never see that photo of him again! Let justice be served and thank you to those working to bring him to justice. Cody Roberts made me ashamed of my wonderful state.