Cody Roberts Is Officially a Convicted Felon. The Sentence Falls Short, but This Case Could Still Drive Change.
The battle for legal justice in the tragic case of the torture and death of a wolf named Hope, which shocked the world in 2024, has finally come to an end. Cody Roberts, the perpetrator of this terrible crime, has officially been charged with felony animal cruelty and has received his sentence.
When footage of Roberts' heinous act of animal cruelty emerged, it revealed a deeply disturbing sequence of events that led to widespread outcry. After striking a yearling wolf named Hope with a snowmobile and leaving him seriously injured, Roberts duct-taped his mouth shut and paraded him around the Green River Bar in Daniel, Wyoming. While clutching a can of beer Roberts posed for photos with the terrified and suffering wolf before eventually bringing Hope outside behind the bar and shooting him in cold blood.
For this extended act of torture, Roberts was initially issued nothing more than a shameful $250 fine for being in possession of a live wolf.
Species Unite along with wolf and wildlife advocates around the world, refused to let that be the end of this story. We shared the grim news widely, pushed for accountability, joined a coalition of activists in a rally for justice in Washington, and most importantly, together this incredible community sent over 18,000 letters to Sublette County Sheriff K.C. Lehr demanding that Roberts face charges, and finally our voices were heard.
Thanks to compassionate people around the world who refused to allow Hope to be forgotten, Sublette County Prosecuting Attorney Clayton Melinkovich took up the case. In August of 2025, more than a year after the crime occurred, Roberts was indicted for felony animal cruelty in a historic decision by a Wyoming grand jury. Although Roberts and his attorneys attempted to fight the charges and have the case thrown out, by early 2026 it became clear that the case would move forward, as Wyoming District Court Judge Richard Lavery rejected the defense's claim that predatory species in Wyoming are exempt from protections against animal cruelty.
Roberts, who had initially pleaded not guilty, ultimately changed his plea to guilty in February of 2026 in order to avoid a trial and secure a deal that would prevent him from serving jail time.
The plea deal was accepted, and Roberts was officially sentenced in March to 18 months of probation. The agreement also includes a $1,450 fine, and he will not be allowed to hunt, fish, or own firearms or other dangerous weapons during that period. Roberts is also barred from drinking alcohol and entering bars, lounges, or liquor stores due to his likely inebriation while committing the crime, while on probation. If Roberts violates any of the terms of his probation, he faces jail time. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Lavery spoke frankly about the gravity of the case, stating, "I have to be honest with you, Mr. Roberts, the charge in this case is disturbing."
Although all of us at Species Unite are deeply disappointed that Roberts will not serve jail time for this act of cruelty, we are grateful that this crime will remain a permanent part of his record. Roberts is now a convicted felon. The fact that this case moved forward despite incredible odds in a state where violence against wildlife so often goes unpunished is a testament to the determination of people who kept sharing this story and refused to let Hope's death be forgotten.
While the sentence falls far short of the severity of the crime, this case has shone a crucial spotlight on issues that demand change in Wyoming and across the United States. Because we refused to let this story fade, there has been a first-of-its-kind push to end the horrific practice of running over wildlife with snowmobiles on public lands through federal legislation: the Snowmobiles Aren’t Weapons Act. This bill has the potential to protect wildlife where Wyoming’s legislature has failed to make meaningful progress on a state-level ban. The case has also brought renewed attention to the cruelty faced by wolves and other predators, and to the deeply ingrained hostility that continues to put them at risk. It has underscored the urgent need to restore full protections for all wolves under the Endangered Species Act, so that crimes like this can be prevented or prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Perhaps most importantly, it has helped shift the narrative, reminding people that wolves are not villains, but individuals deserving of compassion, and that they need our protection now more than ever.
This is not the ending Hope deserved, but the case still has the power to help drive meaningful change.
We will now be officially closing this petition, but we will continue to keep you updated if there are any further developments. Thank you to everyone who took the time to speak out for Hope. Your voice made a difference, and we believe the full impact of this story is still unfolding.
What You Fought Against
In Wyoming, a horrendous act of animal cruelty shocked people across the country. Cody Roberts of Daniel, Wyoming, mercilessly ran over a young wolf with his snowmobile. He then silenced the animal's cries by taping his mouth shut and paraded him around his local bar, before dragging him outside to shoot him.
We cannot even begin to imagine the terror this animal felt in his final moments.
But instead of being charged with animal cruelty, Roberts was fined a measly $250 for being in possession of a live wolf.
These despicable actions, driven by hatred, could not be left unpunished. The Species Unite community banded together to urge Sublette County Sheriff K.C. Lehr to do the right thing and uphold his duty as a law enforcement officer by bringing appropriate animal cruelty charges in this case.
Our criminal justice system was designed to protect everyday citizens, and allowing a violent individual like this to remain free posed a clear danger to the people of Sublette County and the state of Wyoming.