Mother of man dragged to death files lawsuit

The mother of a college student dragged 13 miles to his death during a camping trip in Pend Oreille County has sued the man serving prison time for the death, along with his son.

Jerid Sturman-Camyn, 20, died Nov. 24, 2007, after Wendell C. Sinn Jr., 46, of Newman Lake, tied a noose around his neck and attached it to the back his truck, then ordered his son, Justin Sinn, to drive away.

The elder Sinn claimed self-defense and said Sturman-Camyn, an Eastern Washington University student, had been threatening Justin Sinn, who was not charged in the case, and other campers.

Sinn entered an Alford plea to second-degree manslaughter in September, meaning he admitted no guilt but acknowledged he could be found guilty if taken to trial. He’s serving the maximum penalty, 27 months, at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.

The lawsuit filed Jan. 7 in Spokane County Superior Court by Tacoma lawyer John Christensen on behalf of Koni Buell, an elementary school teacher in Silverdale, seeks unspecified damages. A phone message left for the Sinns was not returned.