Update: After this story was published, Wyoming Game and Fish on Wednesday evening released video evidence collected as part of its investigation into Cody Roberts’ possession of a live wolf. You can read that story here.
The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Wednesday it has opened an investigation into allegations a Wyoming man captured and abused a wolf in February.
The announcement follows global outrage over accusations Daniel resident Cody Roberts ran down the wolf with a snowmobile, taped its mouth shut and brought it to his home and the Green River Bar to show it off before killing it behind the establishment.
“Our office, along with the Sublette County Attorney’s Office, are working with Wyoming Game and Fish to gather evidence and information relevant to the case,” the statement from the sheriff’s office reads. “As this is an active investigation, we will not be able to release any details at this time.”
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department already investigated the incident earlier this year and cited Roberts for violating a law prohibiting the possession of wildlife, for which he paid a $250 fine. The fact that Game and Fish officials did not disclose the investigation at the time, as well as the fact that Roberts wasn’t punished beyond a relatively small fine, has stoked widespread anger over the case.
Global outrage
Then came a photo obtained by Cowboy State Daily that appears to show Roberts, a beer in one hand, smiling for the camera with his arm around the wolf, which has its mouth taped shut. Soon, the story received coverage in outlets like the New York Post and the British newspaper The Guardian.
The worldwide outrage has resulted in thousands of calls and emails to Sublette County authorities. A number of people have even made violent threats, according to the sheriff’s office statement.
“Please understand that such actions endanger the lives and the peace of the residents of Sublette County, State and County employees, and innocent people outside Sublette County not at all involved in the situation,” the sheriff’s office said. “Threats of violence against Mr. Roberts or his family are also not appropriate. Additionally, expressions of violence and harassment can also result in hindering law enforcement investigations as potential witnesses choose not to come forward or cooperate for fear of retribution.”
The sheriff’s office said it understood that people were angry, but asked the public to refrain from overwhelming the sheriff’s office and the county’s communications center.
The sheriff’s office said it was unaware of the situation until the story went viral last week. Game and Fish, it added, rightfully handled the initial investigation since it involved wildlife.
Roberts, for his part, has not spoken publicly about the allegations. He declined to talk with a reporter from Jackson community radio station KHOL, which broke the story, and could not be located when a WyoFile reporter sought to interview him at his residence
Prosecutor responds
The anger spurred by the Roberts’ case led to a torrent of emails directed at the Sublette County Attorney’s Office, according to the agency. That prompted County Attorney Clayton Melinkovich, the local prosecutor, to compose a written response that he said he’s been sending out to people who email his office. He shared a copy of the response with reporters on Wednesday.
In the email, Melinkovich addressed the $250 fine that Roberts paid after being cited for illegal possession of wildlife.
“Many people have voiced their concern by saying that punishment does not fit the crime that many feel he has committed,” the prosecutor acknowledged. That type of citation, he noted, is similar to a traffic ticket: It could be resolved merely by paying the fine and neither his office nor the sheriff’s office knew about it at the time.
Melinkovich also pointed out that the wolf was killed in a designated predator zone, where there’s no requirement for a wolf hunting license, no seasonal limitations and no restrictions on method of dispatch. In fact, there are virtually no rules governing how and when wolves, coyotes, jackrabbits and other designated predators can be killed in such areas. The prosecutor also noted that running down a wolf on a snowmobile is legal in Wyoming, and said the abuse allegations were so far based on anonymous sources from a media report.
In the wake of the allegations, various wildlife groups and advocates have called on Wyoming lawmakers to toughen laws surrounding animal abuse, especially as they relate to predators such as wolves. But Melinkovich left open the possibility that he could act based on the state’s existing statutes.
“While many of the animal abuse provisions do not apply to the hunting, capture, killing, or destruction of a predatory animal, there are narrow circumstances where a person could be charged and convicted of animal abuse,” he wrote. “I cannot and will not comment on any pending investigation.”
Groups that think more should be done aren’t waiting around. The advocacy group Wolves of the Rockies, for instance, is buying ads in the Pinedale Roundup touting a $500 reward for videos and photos of the wolf at the Green River Bar. As of Wednesday afternoon, that reward offer had not yielded any new imagery or footage, a staffer told WyoFile, and they intend to soon increase the dollar amount offered.
A Change.Org petition demanding felony charges against Roberts had collected nearly 72,000 signatures as of late Wednesday afternoon.
Mike Koshmrl contributed to this report.
God Almighty, what kind of cretins exist in the state of Wyoming?
Thank you to the brave soul who reported this incident to the authorities, and to the kind people who provided videos and information so Mr. Roberts can be properly prosecuted. It takes all of us to stand up and do the right thing when we witness any kind of cruelty.
Wyoming Statutes 6-3-1005
(a) A person commits felony cruelty to animals if the person:
(ii) Knowingly, and with intent to cause death or undue suffering, beats with cruelty, tortures, torments or mutilates an animal.
(b) Felony cruelty to animals is a felony punishable by:
(ii) Imprisonment for not more than two (2) years, a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00), or both.
He should be prosecuted.
This murder of this beautiful Wolfe makes me really upset for days. Cruelty laws should apply to all animals. Every animal suffers pain. He needs psychiatric counseling. What have humans become.
Unbelievable! So we are allowed and is legal to run over a wolf!
Do you believe that is legal to purposely running over a wild animal! This is sick and disgusting
President Trump signed the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act that bans intentional crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impairment or other serious harm to living non human mammals, birds, reptiles or amphibians. The law also bans the “animal crush videos “ meaning any photograph, video etc… that depicts animal cruelty. The penalty for violating the law can include a fine and prison term of up to seven years or both. Law enforcement supported this because of the link between animal cruelty and violence against people. It includes child abuse, domestic abuse, sexual assault. It is the sexual sadists are those who traffic in the photographs and videos. Animal abuse is a gateway drug for those anti social deviants. At least those convicted under this would be in CODIS for any future transgressions.
Thank you to all who publicized this atrocity. I live in Texas and we hunt but what this man did is torture. Prolonged torture. The depravity of this man’s behavior is beyond comprehension. The lack of a conscience would be very concerning to me if I lived in that community. There is a federal law against animal torture – no exceptions for whatever- that should be used to prosecute him. It isn’t fair that this very damaged man has tarnished such a beautiful state with kind people.
Wyoming’s lack of protections for wildlife from pathological humans is reprehensible. The Wyoming legislature must make it unlawful to torture and abuse animals whether they are domestic or wild. It must stop year round open season on wild animals. It must re-evaluate the Predator Zone designation that allows barbaric treatment of animals. It must help end this culture of bloodthirsty depravity and educate its citizens as to the humane treatment of all animals. I’m enraged, heartsick and ashamed at the sickening actions leading to this notoriety.
I have worked with wildlife all my life of 74 years.
I have also worked with Game and Fish on many issues.
I would like to request the investigators to be sure and go to the area that was snowmobiled to see how many others are wounded or disabled that were just left to suffer?
As they being pack animals this young one was not alone.
To possibly add to the cruelty.
Also what other game animals (elk, deer, antelope, etc.) may have been included in the harassment of the herds which are very susceptible to running or weariness this time of year depending on the conditions.
I and my family would truly appreciate a response to these suggestions.
This is and was NOT Hunting in any sense.
Sincerely,
Cindy Burgess
I don’t know how Wyoming game laws or regulations become promulgated, but I hope this horrific spectacle and act of cruelty is soon recognized as a felony. I am a hunter and don’t mind a rancher eliminating a predator that reduces the rancher’s bottom line. But torturing an animal is demented. I hope this type of action is made illegal and addressed quickly.
Yes, outrage about the wolf incident is appropriate, but Enough is Enough. Let’s hear and see such outrage about human violence, child abuse, sex crimes, parental neglect, hunger. Take another look at the focus here……………
What’s wrong with you what he did was horrible animals, babies need people to take up for them they can’t do it !
It is incredibly difficult to see what this man did to this wolf with a smile on his face. As observed by many experts in human nature over decades, cruelty to animals is an indicator of an individual’s predilection for escalating violence toward humans. I would not have any personal/business/casual relationship with such an individual. I would also not support any business that would allow such horrific cruelty within their establishment. Yet this bar did and served him a beer! I was born in Colorado and I am deeply ashamed at this type of behavior, knowing that ranchers here are sympathetic to such monstrosities. These same ranchers are weak, hollowed out shells of the ranchers of bygone times. Kill the wolves, kill the prairie dogs! No sirs/madame. Cost of doing business gang! These ranchers have brought about the horrendous situation in Green River.
So, are any local or State of Wyoming law enforcement agencies investigating the felony terroristic threats by violent lunatics against innocent people who had absolutely nothing at all to do with this criminal act? Is the FBI investigating those threats of terroristic violence, since some of them probably originated from outside of Wyoming’s borders?
Showing “outrage” is one thing, but engaging in felony terroristic threats is quite another, especially against innocent people who simply have the same name as the offender. Law enforcement needs to be focusing on that aspect of this case just as much, so the felony perpetrators can be brought to justice and imprisoned for their violent, terroristic threats.
He should have just put the wolf down in the first place. Wolves should have never been reintroduced in the first place, but Roberts is a twisted idiot. No creature should be subjected to this buffoonery. As a Wyoming native I’m ashamed that this idiot has given ammo to those who believe wolves should be in Wyoming. Thanks moron!
Yes, the wolf might have been a predatory animal, and as the prosecutor pointed out. There’s no laws governing how to dispatch the animal. BUT TORTURING any animal for hours and hours before you finally give it relief is in human, it’s criminal. We don’t strap down a prisoner in his chair, tape his mouth shut for hours and hours. Then finally pull the switch. Ending his life
Personally I feel he should be put away in prison for a while. These laws for these animals need to be changed. That poor wolf didn’t deserve what that man did to him. Someone has to speak gor these animals since they cannot speak for themselves.
Cory Rogers horrific inhumane despicable behavior of torture & murder inflicted on the wolf
should sound the alarm! He is dangerous .
Thank you to Mr. “Wolfson” for the article. I do commend the Sublette County Sheriff’s office and Sublette County Attorney’s office for the professionalism they are displaying.
Those laws need to be changed. Hunting is one thing. Torture is another.
Just because it’s legal in Wyoming, doesn’t make it right. I think this could end up being the tipping point that results in major change to the West’s historical animosity toward all wildlife. And I, for one, welcome such change.
Josh, you failed to mention Roberts chased the adolescent female wolf with a snow mobile crushing her with it. It was NOT just capturing it and taping her mouth shut, which he did to silence her painful cries. Please include details that are important to this situation. It was pure TORTURE! Don’t candy coat it!
This man was wrong, authorities need to stop defending him, he needs to be taking to court or stop releasing wolves into Wyoming for idiots like this man to torture and abuse and then kill him, if your gonna hunt, hunt for food for your family not to torture an animal like this guy did, jail time is needed to teach him a lesson and take his privileges away for hunting!!
I do remember a conviction in Park County not many years ago where a Clark, Wyoming resident was convicted for animal cruelty because he mistreated his horses who were under nourished. Certainly Mr. Roberts was legally hunting wolves and could do so on a snow mobile; however, animal cruelty is a completely separate issue and could be construed as a separate matter not related to the legality of hunting. With respect to the question of allowable methods of take/killing of predators in Wyoming I would like to remind the readers that calling of predators is legal as is trapping, snaring , use of coyote getters, aerial shooting from airplanes and/or helicopters, destruction of dens to include burning, night hunting by spotlight, pursuit by vehicle such as pickup or snowmobile – basically everything is allowed as mentioned in this article. Please separate the animal cruelty allegations from the legal removal of predators issue.
There never ever ever should be laws that allow people to take animals in such ways. We are stewards of the animals of this earth, not vile cruel beings that torture, maim and kill like this. Never were humans supposed to treat animals or any living thing like this. Hunters are supposed to be conservationists for animal life. This was horrendously torturous and cruel. In no way should the allowance of taking animals by trapping, snaring , use of coyote getters, aerial shooting from airplanes and/or helicopters, destruction of dens to include burning, night hunting by spotlight, pursuit by vehicle such as pickup or snowmobile humane in any way what soever. What happened to sportsmanship?? This was not even close to that. Wy should be ashamed of passing these laws and allowing such inhumane deaths of animals.
I have been following this story from the beginning, and have seen where many hunters are afraid they will suffer if laws are changed to protect wildlife. I think it’s important to note, I am not a hunter, that many people feel the majority of hunters hunt very humanly. I would like to see the laws change to where all wildlife would have to be treated in a humane way, by all people, not only hunters. If you are a humane hunter, I commend and support you.
The term “humane” has taken on a rather vile meaning if it’s now acceptable to place it before a word like “hunting.” What’s next, humane rape, humane execution, humane child abuse?
Thank for covering this difficult subject
This situation was not covered by Josh accurately. It was NOT only capturing the wolf and taping her mouth shut. Roberts brutally chased down this young adolescent female wolf with a snowmobile crushing her body. He taped her mouth shut to silence her cries of agonizing pain. It wasn’t simply capturing her and taping her mouth shut. There would not be the global outrage if Josh’s story was accurate. Shame on Josh for neglecting the real details.