Dragging death suit settled 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. Wendell 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.