Tell WY Court: Reject Weak Plea Deal in Wolf Torture Case

Two years ago, the world reacted in disbelief to what happened in western Wyoming.

A former Wyoming Department of Fish and Game contractor, Cody Roberts, deliberately ran down a young female wolf with a snowmobile, crushing her and leaving her gravely wounded. But it didn’t end there.

He taped her mouth shut.
He transported her while she was suffering.
He brought her into a local bar, where she was displayed, mocked, and tormented before he finally killed her. 

This wolf — later named Theia by activists — endured prolonged, intentional cruelty. This was not a mistake. It was not self-defense. It was not a split-second decision.

It was premeditated and prolonged torture resulting in death.

That’s why a grand jury indicted Roberts on a felony animal cruelty charge. Wyoming law allows up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine for extreme cruelty. Lawmakers made it a felony because some acts are so egregious that probation alone is not justice.

Yet under a proposed plea agreement, Roberts would reportedly avoid prison entirely — receiving just 18 months of supervised probation, a $1,000 fine, and restrictions on hunting, fishing, alcohol, and bar access. 

For crushing an animal with a snowmoble.
For prolonging her suffering.
For parading her around town as the life drained from her.

If this doesn’t warrant serious jail time, what does?

The Northern Rockies have become a flashpoint for hostility and cruelty toward wolves and other native predators. President Obama’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe has publicly warned of the growing attacks on wolf conservation in the region, calling out policies and practices that enable extreme cruelty and undermine decades of recovery efforts. This case is a litmus test. If the court accepts a weak penalty, it will send a dangerous signal: that even the most egregious abuse of a wolf will be treated as a minor offense.

The judge is not required to accept this deal. He has the authority — and the responsibility — to impose a sentence that reflects the severity of the crime and the intent of Wyoming’s felony anti-cruelty statute.

Theia cannot speak. But we can.

Tell the court: Reject this weak plea deal. Apply the law as written. Set a clear example that extreme cruelty toward wolves — or any animal — will carry real consequences in Wyoming.

Justice demands nothing less.

The petition to the court reads: Cody Roberts, a former Wyoming Department of Fish and Game contractor, deliberately ran down, tortured, and paraded a gravely injured wolf before killing her — an act of prolonged, premeditated cruelty that shocked the world. Wyoming law (W.S. 6-3-1005) classifies extreme animal abuse as a felony punishable by up to two years in prison, and anything less than a meaningful sentence would undermine the intent of that statute and send a dangerous signal that even the most egregious cruelty toward wolves will be tolerated. We respectfully urge the court to reject the proposed weak plea deal and impose a penalty that reflects the severity of this crime.
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Sources:

https://www.eenews.net/articles/plea-deal-ends-wyoming-wolf-torture-case/

https://svinews.com/2026/regional-news/116387/under-plea-deal-alleged-wolf-tormentor-cody-roberts-to-face-18-month-probation-1000-fine/

https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/accused-wyoming-wolf-tormentor-worked-with-state-before-daniel-incident/article_05b75968-0757-11ef-bde4-7f01616f4df1.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/08/03/wolves-idaho-montana-cruelty-conservation/