Family settles dragging case for $1 million

The driver of a pickup that dragged a college student 13 miles to his death during a 2007 hunting trip to Pend Oreille County has settled a civil suit against him for $1 million. The family of the victim intends to use a portion of the proceeds to fund a scholarship in his name. Justin Sinn, then 17, was never charged in the case. His father, Wendell C. Sinn Jr., 46, of Newman Lake, received a 27-month prison sentence for his part in the death of Jerid Sturman-Camyn, 20. Sinn tied a noose around Sturman-Camyn’s neck, attached it to the back of his truck and told his son to drive away. The elder Sinn entered an Alford plea in September 2008 to second-degree manslaughter. In that type of plea, Sinn did not acknowledge guilt but acknowledged that he could have been convicted had the case gone to trial. Justin Sinn’s insurance company settled the suit, according to a news release. The Jerid Sturman-Camyn Athletic Memorial Fund was created by his parents and the Klahowya Secondary School to help children who want to play sports but can’t afford the related costs. “Jerid was a big-hearted young man who is deeply missed by his large extended family and hundreds of friends,” Koni Buell, Sturman-Camyn’s mother, of Silverdale, said in a statement. “We continue to honor Jerid by supporting other athletes who share his passion for sports. While the personal agony of knowing how Jerid died will always haunt our family, we want to honor Jerid’s courageous and inspiring heart by helping kids attain the future that was stolen from him.” The Jerid Sturman-Camyn Athletic Memorial Fund was created by his parents and the Klahowya Secondary School in Silverdale to assist children who want to participate in sports but can’t afford the associated costs. The family said it believes the memorial scholarship fund is the most appropriate way to pay tribute to his memory.