When Koni Buell came to MBC in 2008 seeking justice for the brutal execution-style murder of her son, Jerid Sturman-Camyn, attorneys Stephen Bulzomi, John Christensen and Jeremy Johnston knew right away they had to find a way to help. After a difficult conversation with Koni explaining that she didn’t have the right to a claim because of 20-year-old Jerid’s age and Washington’s current wrongful death law, they agreed to file a case on behalf of Jerid’s estate.
In November of 2007, Jerid and his father were on a hunting trip with three other fathers and sons in the forest outside of Spokane, Washington. After a day of hunting, the group got together at their campsite where the adults, including Jerid, started drinking. According to witnesses, as the drinking continued, Sturman-Camyn became more aggressive and belligerent, to the point of threatening the others with an ax. This was the turning point, where the other adults at the campsite should have intervened and cooled heads should have prevailed, where anyone could simply have left the campsite or called 911. Instead, one of the other campers, Wendell Sinn, tied a rope to the hitch of his truck and created a noose on the other end, and hung it around Jerid’s neck. He then instructed his 17-year-old son, Justin Sinn, to drag Jerid out of the camp. Thirteen miles later, Justin Sinn stopped, dragging what remained of Jerid behind his truck. Justin’s father, Wendell Sinn, was prosecuted and pled guilty to Second Degree Manslaughter, receiving a paltry 27-month sentence. His son, Justin Sinn, was granted immunity and was not charged. Sturman-Camyn, an elite athlete and committed student at Eastern Washington University with enormous opportunities awaiting him, had been murdered, and his family faced not only hurt, but anger with the failed criminal justice system.
Despite the atrocious nature of this case, legal obstacles abounded. Before the ink was dry on the complaint against Wendell and Justin Sinn, a declaration action was filed by the defendants’ insurers claiming that because of the nature of this horrible crime no coverage existed under the available auto and personal liability policies. A careful complaint was crafted, making allegations with sufficient specificity to keep both Wendell and Justin Sinn in the case, but without the detail that would void coverage – intentional conduct. After cross motions for summary judgment were filed by the parties, coverage was found to exist under the primary auto and umbrella policies for Justin Sinn, much to the disappointment of the insurers.
With the matter of coverage resolved, policy limits demands were immediately made, putting pressure on the carriers to negotiate. They responded by waiving their policy limits, which removed the potential for bad faith claims against the insurers and made certain that the defendants’ personal attorneys would not pressure the insurance carriers to settle the claim. Now the game was on.
The wrongful death claim had explosive facts on both sides. Because Jerid was unmarried and had no children, the law prevented evidence of conscious pain and suffering from being presented. MBC hired a forensic pathologist to explain the timing and exact circumstances of Jerid’s death to work around this statute and have the evidence heard.
The other big hurdle was the issue of alcohol. Jerid’s postmortem blood/alcohol level was 0.23. His father, who supplied him with alcohol, was also a primary factor in stirring up Jerid’s aggressive behavior at the campsite. Bulzomi, Christensen and Johnston attacked on two fronts. First, they argued that a parent supplying alcohol to their minor child is not illegal and is, in fact, statutorily allowed under certain circumstances. Second, they argued that no matter how boorish or obnoxious the behavior, Jerid’s conduct cannot, as a matter of law, be considered a “legal cause” of the subsequent execution-style murder that took place. Motions argued on this issue yielded mixed results, with Judge O’Connor of Spokane County dismissing all claims of comparative fault against Jerid’s father, but keeping the claims of fault against Jerid alive.
Stephen Bulzomi and John Christensen were able to successfully mediate the case and resolved the case for $1 million. In memory of Jerid’s love for sports, his family has decided to use a portion of the settlement to fund athletic scholarships. A second portion will be donated to fund crime victim advocates.
For all involved, this was a unique, emotional and complicated case. Despite the challenges it raised, MBC is proud to have helped Jerid’s family attain justice and hold his murderers accountable.
Contact:
Sue Evans
253.592.1590 – Cell
sue@nwmediaallies.com
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