Below is the sentence that Adam Finn received for hitting and killing Admiral and Kapitan on July 24, 2011, while driving drunk.
After hitting Admiral he continued driving and then hit Admirals his son Kapitan. Adam then tried to continue down the road, but his truck was damaged so badly that he was unable to.
I was on the mountain top when it happened and learned of their death 2 days later when I came down to visit the Dryhead horses.
Admiral was one of the first Wild Horses I ever saw.
Is this justice enough? I personally do not think so.
Below is a video I made of the Pryor Horses in 2010. You can see Admiral and his family in it.
Sandy
This was really nothing, no punishment for drinking, driving and killing. I thought (from Animal Planet) US had quite a lot of punishment for animals abuse etc.?
Nice video…
Thank you! I agree, the punishment does not seem harsh enough by a long ways.
I agree with you Sandy, and “bentehaarstad”!!!!
If it was a person he would have gotten life in prison!
At least they could have given him more punishment…like something to do with volunteering
his time to help the horses or wild animals.
Money is never enough to make up for this horrendous crime.
Nice video…I still miss Admiral & Kapitan and always will wonder how their lives would
have played out.
We need some representation of Admiral’s bloodline on the range!
Thank you for keeping us all up to date on things!!!
I agree with you, forcing him to volunteer his time helping horses in some way should help him to understand why what he did was so bad. It would be a more positive and useful response than punishment if he actually found some genuine respect for horses and came to feel true remorse. If that failed, then is the time for more extreme measures as people like that are a danger to society.
Thank you Lori! Yes, there could have been a much different punishment and there should have been.
P.S. I just cried all over again watching that video.
Absolutely not enough and next time it may be a child, either way drunk driving is just that, driving a vehicle that has now become a lethal weapon to others, very sad that our systems do not get smart and send out stronger messages and stronger and longer sentences and not foolish fines
I agree Jeannie!
This is not justice. He should have gotten prison time. I see no punishment for killing the two of them in that horrible way. And espeically because HE TRIED TO KEEP GOING. Even after hitting Admiral he continued down the road and hit Climbs High (Kapitan) then still tried to keep going before having to abandon his truck. There was absolutely no reason that those two had to die. And Jesse James is now the only remaining link his father and brother. What a waste of two beautiful horses and the area’s resident “Greeters.” I can’t believe he was let off so easy. What is to stop him from doing this again. It may not be wild horses again, it may be another animal, car, store, person… and that will have been completely 100% preventable.
I agree with you Sarah!
The video is wonderful but the punishment is not near serious enough. The only good thing that might become of it is him being cut off the alcohol. Maybe he’ll think twice before he drinks and drives again. It’s devastating to think that he just kept driving! He’s lucky that local vigilantes didn’t get ahold of him first!
I kinda wish the local vigilantes had!
Thank you.
First of all, Sandy, I so love that video. You showed so many of the most wonderful things about the horses, it is such beautiful quality and the footage of Admiral and his family are now, of course, irreplacable.
Concerning Adam Finn, my first issue is that he did not malisciously or negligently INJURE a wild horse or burro—he KILLED 2 of them.
Secondly, his fine should have been much steeper, so as to make him hurt enough so he’d decide that drinking and driving is NOT a good choice. However, I am not totally surprised at the way it turned out, and I am glad he got at least this much reprimand. Too many people just plain totally get away with this stuff with nothing but a fine. Now it will be interesting to see if his probation provisions and alcohol use requirements are seriously enforced or not, cause I’d be willing to bet he hasn’t changed his behavior much yet. It hasn’t cost him enough.
The only true justice would be for him to drive off the Bad Pass Highway while under the influence and plunge about 500 feet down into one of the many gorges he passed safely thru on that fateful trip. Then the score would be almost even. Or, some other location would also suffice, as long as the outcome were the same. Sorry for being so harsh, but it’s the way I feel.
I agree, it’s harsh, but true. There’s nothing that can replace those two lives lost. I noticed the wording on that statement too. He killed them, he didn’t injure them. And thankfully the rest of the band wasn’t standing in the road either because he would have killed them too.
I agree with you Linda!
Right on Linda!!!
This Country does not do enough to people who commit murder and other horrific crimes. That is why there are constantly crimes like this commited on a daily basis. If the penalties were ” an eye for an eye” in other words…death for death…these crazies would not be commiting these murders, rapes, etc. Now all they get is a monetary fine, a slap on the hand, a littel bit of jail time, or even life in prison…even that is not enough to pay for taking a life.
I beleive in some other countries where there is little crime…that is what they do….an eye for an eye!!!! It sure would make people think twice before commiting these unforgivable crimes.
I am harsh too Linda!!! And I agree with all that you said.
This is a ridiculously inappropiate sentence, I agree wholeheartedly with you. There is no justice here.
This is just a slap on the wrist. He deserves a lot more. I just hope he doesn’t drive drunk again and hit a person.
Hello Sandy,
I just read all the history and see your video (the video is wonderfull and the wild horses so beautiful.
I don’t understand the man who killed the stallion, why do he that ?
The sentence is not appropriate whit his act ! Ans is too poor. Only 3000 dollars for the horse !!! What a shame
Thank you and welcome to my blog!
I do not understand why he could do such a thing. He was drunk. At first I thought it was someone who at gotten drunk and driven up the road unto the range by accident. But I found out (and someone will correct me if I am wrong) that he had been staying up beyond the range to do a study of some sort. So he was aware of the horses being there. Makes it even more tragic. Being aware of those beautiful animals and still choosing to drive impaired, in the dark and at a high rate of speed. No, his sentence was not even close to what I would have given him.
Sandy, wondered if something was wrong with my h0ne and I pad because none of your videos would work ?? Finally 1 gave me this message : The content owner has not made this video available on mobile
Add to playlist to watch it later on a PC. So am wondering WHY you have setup as such ? 0r IF you are even aware of this ?? (thanks, Connie
Hi Connie, I am in the Pryors right now. I will check my setting when I get home.