Navy airmen pleading guilty to shooting cows

Thursday, Nov. 18, 1999 | 2:01 a.m.

Churchill County sheriff's deputies earlier obtained confessions from Joshua Osinski, 23, Scottsdale, Ariz., Alan Peters, 21, Coos Bay, Ore.

The grand larceny charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The men also may be forced to pay as much as $8,000 to the Navy, which reimbursed the ranchers for the value of the livestock killed in September.

"I just want them to learn their lesson and don't do it again," said Margo Mills, wife of rancher Roger Mills, who lost two $1,500 registered cows.

Churchill County District Attorney Arthur Mallory says the two men who were training at Fallon Naval Air Station will plead guilty to the charges Monday in district court in Fallon. They are based at Lemoore Naval Air Station in California.

They were arrested Sept. 22, six days after the first dad animals were found.

Each cow suffered multiple wounds. One was shot 12 times. Another was shot as she gave birth.

Mallory said the airmen began talking about the possibility of pleading guilty after a ballistics test conclusively tied one of their guns to the shooting and found another likely was used to kill the cows.

"There's no motive other than extremely bad judgment and lack of understanding of livestock," Mallory said.