Former Navy men sentenced in cow shootings

Wednesday, March 1, 2000 | 12:19 p.m.

Joshua Osinski, 23, Scottsdale, Ariz., and Alan Peters, 21, Coos Bay, Ore., faced up to 10 years in prison for the slaying of the eight pregnant cows in September.

But acting on the advice of the livestock owners Tuesday, Churchill District Judge Archie Blake suspended the two- to five-year prison sentences for grand larceny.

He ordered them to serve 54 additional days in the county jail, placed them on five years probation, ordered them pay nearly $6,000 in restitution and do 200 hours community service.

"Both of these men have lost their naval careers," David Houston, a lawyer for Peters, said in urging no prison time.

"Peters had a spotless criminal record, and culturally, they don't have the same appreciation for livestock," he said.

"They don't know what it takes for raising them. They are just some kids that had more time than common sense."

The judge gave them credit for about 60 days already served in jail. They were ordered to reimburse the Navy for $5,600 paid to the owners of the cows and an additional $376 for disposal of the dead animals.

Investigators said each cow suffered multiple wounds. One was shot 12 times. Another was shot as she gave birth.

The two men were arrested days later after one was overheard bragging about the shootings.

"We weren't going to push for much hard time, but we did feel we wanted sufficient sentencing that would act as a deterrent to this type of thing happening again," said Roger Mills, who owned two of the cows. He said long prison sentences would not accomplish anything.

"I don't think it would make them any better people. If they were repeat offenders, I would feel entirely different," Mills said.

Osinski, who now is living with an uncle in Las Vegas, told the judge earlier he couldn't explain why he did it.

Peters said, "I was just being stupid and without thinking, I took the life of animals."

The two were given less-than-honorable discharges by the Navy after their arrest. They had been based at Lemoore Naval Air Station in California and were training at Fallon Naval Air Station at the time of the shootings.