A grisly encounter in which a Wyoming hunter ran over a gray wolf, took pictures of the creature at a bar and then killed it has ended with the hunter avoiding prison but facing probation, fines – and widespread outrage.

A state judge in Pinedale, Wyoming, handed down an 18-month probation sentence to Cody Roberts, 44, about two years after he hit the wolf with a snowmobile, restrained the wounded animal by taping its mouth shut, brought it into a rural bar and ultimately killed it.

Judge Richard Lavery sentenced Roberts on Wednesday following a plea agreement he struck with prosecutors in February. Along with probation, Lavery imposed a $1,000 fine and barred Roberts from drinking alcohol, entering bars or liquor stores, and from hunting or fishing during the probation period.

At a March hearing where he abandoned his initial not-guilty plea, Roberts expressed remorse, telling the court he regretted his actions – and apologizing to his family and the community at large.

Roberts, by pleading out, avoided a potential sentence of up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine. His trial had been tentatively set for March.

During sentencing, Lavery spoke bluntly about the nature of the offense, telling Roberts: “I have to be honest with you, the charge in this case is disturbing.”

Sublette county prosecutor Clayton Melinkovich acknowledged public dissatisfaction with the outcome, saying: “There are some who are disappointed with the result in this case.”

But “the state is not”, Melinkovich continued, according to the Wyoming News. “The state feels that this is an appropriate sentence given the totality of the circumstances regarding this case.”

He added that “by definition, cruelty to animals is a nonviolent offense. This is not to say that this case did not include violence, but rather the legislature designates this crime as nonviolent.”

The events that led to the case occurred in February 2024 in Daniel, a small town of roughly 150 people. According to reports, Roberts ran over a gray wolf with his snowmobile, taped its mouth shut, posed for a photo with the animal inside a local bar and later shot it behind the tavern – actions that sparked calls for harsher penalties in cases of extreme animal abuse.

Public anger intensified after Roberts initially received only a minor citation and a fine of a few hundred dollars for illegally possessing the wolf while it was still alive. For a time, no further punishment followed, even after details of the killing became widely known.

The controversy grew as photos circulated showing the wolf with tape around its mouth. Video footage also emerged depicting the same animal lying on the floor, still alive but barely moving.

The case drew renewed attention to laws in Wyoming which allowed broad methods for killing wolves and other predators across most of the state.