Sublette County law enforcement officials announced today that a grand jury has indicted Cody Roberts for the charge of felony cruelty to animals, a crime that could put the Daniel resident in prison for up to two years.
The announcement came in a press release that provided few details about the grand jury, which met behind closed doors and is confidential in nature. The 12-person panel, selected by the 9th District Court, met during the second and third weeks of August. After “receiving evidence and deliberation,” the notice said, the grand jury returned a “true bill” resulting in the indictment against Roberts.
Early on during fallout from the incident, which incited global outrage, Sublette County Prosecuting Attorney Clayton Melinkovich suggested that he disagreed with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, which took the lead in responding to the Feb. 29, 2024 incident. Game and Fish has maintained that wolves are not protected by animal cruelty laws in areas of Wyoming where they are designated as predators by the state.
“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,” Melinkovich said in an announcement in early April 2024.
Nearly a year and a half later, the grand jury agreed.
In the spring of 2024, Game and Fish’s investigation and subsequent citation were handled without public notice in the days after the incident. Roberts was fined $250 for possessing the wolf, though the investigating wardens could have issued steeper penalties and sent the case to court but declined to take that step. The leniency of the penalty stoked outrage that exploded globally when Roberts’ stunt with the injured wolf became widely publicized, with photos of him and the injured animal spread across the internet.
In the aftermath, the Wyoming Legislature even convened a “Treatment of Predators Working Group,” which included lawmakers and other stakeholders. That group workshopped a bill intended to deter the torture of predatory animals.
In addition to up to two years of imprisonment, felony animal cruelty can be punishable with a fine of up to $5,000.
Felony animal cruelty is committed in Wyoming if a person “knowingly, and with intent to cause death or undue suffering, beats with cruelty, tortures, torments or mutilates an animal,” according to Section 6-3-1005 of the criminal code.
At the one-year mark after Roberts’ stunt with the wolf, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department declined to comment on Sublette County’s law enforcement proceedings. Agency personnel were unable to be reached when the indictment was announced late Wednesday afternoon.
“The Wyoming Game and Fish Department cannot comment on pending or ongoing litigation within or outside of our jurisdiction,” Chief Warden Dan Smith said in a statement during the spring.
Lynn Bernard, who chairs the Sublette County Commission, told WyoFile that he expects the community to have a split reception to the indictment. Bernard declined to share his own views on either the incident or the indictment, but the commissioner cited a showing of support for Roberts during a spring 2024 motorcycle rally, when protesters rode to the Green River Bar.
“Take it as you will, that’s how people grew up,” Bernard said. “If you stop and look at our history, you’ll see pictures of wild game that has been roped and strung to a tree or pole.”
Condemnation of Roberts reached a fury partly because of what he did to the juvenile wolf while it was alive. The Daniel man allegedly acquired the animal by running it over with a snowmobile until it was barely conscious. After taking possession of the wounded animal, he kept it alive for an unknown length of time, taping and muzzling its mouth.
Animal rights activists and conservation organizations flooded social media Wednesday with posts commended the grand jury’s indictment.
“Today’s indictment is a step toward recognizing that all predators deserve protection from cruelty — not just pets,” the Mountain Lion Foundation wrote in a Facebook post. “Thank you to everyone who demanded justice. Your voices mattered.”
Reached late Wednesday, Melinkovich, the county prosecutor, said he could not disclose any additional details about the grand jury, a seldom-used vehicle for pursuing felony charges in the state court system. Even the vote of the body — nine of 12 jurists must agree to indict — is considered confidential, he said.
Associated legal documents are also off-limits to the public, he said. They will remain sealed, though attorneys will be able to unearth new evidence that the grand jury was presented. That could include testimony, because grand juries equip prosecutors with subpoena power.
“I have access to [sealed documents], through the state, for prosecution purposes,” Melinkovich said.
Roberts will receive a summons for an initial court appearance, where a judge typically sets bond for a defendant and determines whether he or she needs a public defender. An arraignment, where Roberts would enter a plea to the charge, would occur later.
“Then it will proceed as any other felony prosecution,” Melinkovich said.
ChampionsLeague
The grand jurys indictment of Cody Roberts for animal cruelty feels long overdue, offering a small sense of justice for the suffering the wolf endured. Its a positive step, though many hope it signals a broader shift in how Wyoming addresses cruelty to predators.