Who Is LaVoy Finicum’s Wife?

An FBI agent, W. Joseph Astarita, was alleged to have fired two shots at Finicum’s pickup, one of which penetrated the roof of the pickup and exited through a window. FBI agents were believed to have recovered the ejected empty cartridges. A five-count indictment for lying about the circumstances at the scene of Finicum’s death, and obstruction of justice, was obtained in Portland against Astarita by the Department of Justice. He was represented by a public defender and his trial began in Portland in late July 2018. A federal jury found Astarita to be not guilty on all charges on August 10, 2018.

On January 26, 2018, Finicum’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in US district court in Pendleton, Oregon. Named as defendants were the US, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Oregon State Police, the Bureau of Land Management, Oregon governor Kate Brown, Greg Bretzing, former FBI special agent in charge in Portland, indicted FBI agent W. Joseph Astarita, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, former U.S. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward (sheriff), Harney County commissioner Steven Grasty, the Center for biographylogical Diversity and unnamed officers. The lawsuit seeks more than $5 million in damages for Finicum’s wife, Jeanette Finicum, and each of their 12 children and his estate. Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for biographylogical Diversity, called the suit a “bizarre, incoherent, yet nonetheless dangerous, attack on free speech.”

On January 26, 2016, law enforcement officers attempted to arrest Finicum and other occupation leaders while they were traveling on a remote highway away from the occupation site. After fleeing the officers, Finicum was stopped by a roadblock, where he challenged officers to shoot him. He was shot and killed by state troopers while moving his hands toward his pocket, where officers later found a loaded weapon.

In 2016, Finicum was erroneously mentioned in court filings in the government’s felony case against William Keebler, who planted a bomb at a BLM cabin near Finicum’s ranch earlier that year. In the first complaint filed with the court, the government alleged Finicum had accompanied Keebler on a “reconnaissance” of the cabin in October 2015. However, the government later filed a corrected complaint and an FBI agent testified Finicum had not actually been there. His widow said Keebler had been at their ranch on other business that day, and stated that her husband had no knowledge of Keebler’s bombing plans.

Finicum served as a spokesman for the armed militants who occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in early 2016. He was dubbed “Tarp Man” by MSNBC for sitting outside at night in a rocking chair, holding a rifle on his lap, and sometimes covering himself completely with a blue tarp for additional protection against the elements. When asked on January 6 if he would rather be killed than arrested if the occupation turned violent, Finicum replied, “I have no intention of spending any of my days in a concrete box.”

On August 27, 2016, Finicum’s widow Jeanette announced her plans to sue the OSP and the FBI for civil rights violations relating to his death. She retained a California-based attorney, who is also representing Ryan Bundy, for the case.

In August 2015, Finicum decided to cease complying with the terms of his grazing permit with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). At the time, he released a YouTube video in which he claimed it was unconstitutional for the federal government to own BLM lands and said he was inspired by Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and events surrounding the 2014 Bundy standoff. In less than six months, Finicum accrued more than US$12,000 in fees and fines, which he refused to pay.

On January 26, Finicum was one of several occupation leaders who left the refuge (located in Harney County) in a two-truck convoy. The convoy also included occupation leaders Ammon Bundy, Ryan Bundy, Shawna Cox, and Ryan Payne and two supporters, Victoria Sharp and Brian Cavalier. Their intention was to speak at a public meeting in the city of John Day in adjacent Grant County. Finicum was driving his white 2015 Dodge Ram pickup truck, followed by a dark-colored Jeep.

According to the High Nation News, “the public record on Finicum is thin prior to 2014.”

The Oregon State Police received death threats. On February 6, more than 1,000 supporters attended Finicum’s funeral in Kanab, Utah, while others rebuilt a razed memorial on U.S. Route 395. The story of another 100 people led by the 3 Percenters rallied at the Idaho State Capitol in the afternoon in honor of Finicum, who they believed was unarmed at the time of his death. On March 4, a small group of about a dozen armed protesters surrounded a federal courthouse in Tucson, Arizona, demanding the state troopers who shot Finicum to be indicted and fired. Another rally, led by Finicum’s widow, was held at the Utah State Capitol on March 5. 200–300 people were in attendance. Several dozen rallies were held at various locations throughout the country the following Saturday.

In 2002, Finicum filed for bankruptcy while living in New Mexico and doing business as “Southwest Horse and Trails”. By 2008, Finicum operated a foster home for troubled boys near Chino Valley, Arizona. According to a 2010 tax filing, Catholic Charities Community Services in Arizona paid the family US$115,343 to foster children in 2009. In January 2016, the state removed all of Finicum’s foster children due to his involvement with the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (discussed below). Finicum said this took away his family’s main source of income.

Robert LaVoy Finicum (January 27, 1961 – January 26, 2016) was an American spokesman for the militia group Citizens for Constitutional Freedom, who seized and occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in the State of Oregon, US, on January 2, 2016.