SOURCE: ktar.com
(Change.org Photo)
by Associated Press
MESA, Ariz. — Maricopa County Sheriff’s officials now are confirming that one of the free-roaming horses near the Salt River was fatally shot.
The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group released a statement Sunday night saying that a 12-year-old mare was found dead Oct. 1 of an apparent shooting.
However, the Sheriff’s Office announced Monday there was no evidence that the wild horse was intentionally killed or evidence of gunshot wounds on the carcass found at the Coon Bluff Campground area near Mesa.
But sheriff’s officials said Friday that a veterinarian contracted to examine the horse’s carcass ultimately determined that the mare was shot by a small-caliber weapon although no projectile was found.
They said the investigation has been turned over to the sheriff’s animal crimes unit.
The Forest Service had originally planned to capture, auction off and dispose of the wild horses, but postponed any decision-making back in August.
Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
There could be a pretty good sized reward offered AND the fine for harassing or killing a Wild Horse was increased to $100,000 PER OFFENSE
Click to access ISPMB_newsletter_June_2013.pdf
Sentencing Reform Act
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FBI considers animal abuse as a “crime against society”
Animal abuse is now considered a top-tier felony, thanks to the FBI
http://www.wdbj7.com/news/local/fbi-considers-animal-abuse-as-a-crime-against-society/32138748
“That’s going to let them track and do research on behavior patterns and give them more insight on why people do this help them prosecute these cases and help them prevent it which is one of the main things,” she said.
O’Neill the change is a clear indication animal cruelty should not be taken lightly at any level.
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Are the Keystone Cops still running around in Arizona?
Exhibit A:
“Maricopa County Sheriff’s officials now are confirming that one of the free-roaming horses near the Salt River was fatally shot.”
Exhibit B:
“the Sheriff’s Office announced Monday there was no evidence that the wild horse was intentionally killed or evidence of gunshot wounds on the carcass..””
Exhibit C:
“a veterinarian contracted to examine the horse’s carcass ultimately determined that the mare was shot by a small-caliber weapon…”
If this horse was shot there should be a bullet hole someplace in the carcass. Even if small one would expect the AZ Sheriffs Dept. to be somewhat familiar with small caliber bullet entry sites in mammals shot to death, at least enough to declare there was “no” such evidence. Until it was found where it had been all along!
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The sheriff’s office says the wild horse was shot but not intentionally?
Baloney.
So someone is running around on our public lands with a gun and that person can’t even tell the difference between shooting at a tin can and shooting a horse?
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Here is an old list that needs to be updated of our wild horses and burros killed on public lands. It is only a partial list and there are many more that are known and we can bet there are many more that are not even known about.
3 wild horses fatally shot in central OR last weekend
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/3-wild-horses-fatally-shot-in-central-Ore-4899255.php
2 wild horses killed near Virginia City Nevada September 2013
http://virginiacitynews.com/wild-horses-killed-in-mound-house-p5517-1.htm
1 burro killed and butchered January 2013 Primm Nevada
http://www.pe.com/local-news/topics/topics-environment-headlines/20130129-mojave-desert-reward-offered-in-burro-death.ece
6 dead burros March 2012
Rangers found on March 13, 2012, six dead burros. Five adult animals were shot, one foal died when the jenny (mother) was killed. The evidence collected indicates other animals may have been shot. The investigation is ongoing. The incident occurred within the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Lake Pleasant Herd Management Area
http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/march/burro-shooting.html
article about above but with photos! http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/A-pregnant-burro-and-4-others-shot-dead-BLM-offering-reward-to-catch-shooter-142892545.html?gallery=y&c=y#/news/local/A-pregnant-burro-and-4-others-shot-dead-BLM-offering-reward-to-catch-shooter-
11 wh&b killed spring of 2012 (four separate killings – Nevada and California)
11 Wild Horses and Burros Shot To Death in Last Three Months – BLM Offers $10,000 Reward
The BLM is investigating the shooting deaths of nearly a dozen wild horses and burros in four separate incidents in California and Nevada since late January. The agency announced on Monday that it was offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter or shooters.
The most recent killings, discovered on April 9, involved one horse and two burros on BLM land near Black Rock Canyon in Pershing County, Nevada, about 150 miles northeast of Reno. Five days earlier, two wild horses were found shot to death in Lassen County, California, near the Nevada border. Six other mustangs were killed earlier in northern Nevada — three in Eureka County in January and three in Lander County in February.
http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6931/t/0/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=1204078
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GG, do you know if anyone has ever been successfully prosecuted for shooting and killing a wild horse or burro?
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I have removed the Defendants name in the below summary, not to protect the guilty but to protect this blog from possible harassment.
On or about November 4, 2012, within the District of Nevada, in the County of Lander, defendant _____ did maliciously cause the death of a wild free-roaming burro by maliciously shooting and causing the death of Burro No. 1, a wild and free-roaming burro, in violation of Title 16, United States code Section 1338(a)(3). Defendant also admits as relevant conduct that on or about November 4, 2012 within the District of Nevada, in the County of Lander, he also shot and caused the death of Burros No. 2 through No. 6, all wild free-roaming burros.
On June 13, 2013 defendant was charged with Misdemeanor Information with six counts of Title 16, United States Code Section 1338 Maliciously Causing the Death of a Wild Burro.
JUDGMENT as to _____ (1), Count(s) 1, Defendant pleaded guilty
to Count 1 of the Information filed 6/14/2013. Defendant sentenced to
Probation for 1 YEAR. Standard and Special Conditions of Supervision
include but are not limited to 100 hours Community Service. $2,000 fine,
$25 special assessment due immediately. Counts 2 through 6 dismissed on
motion of USA. Signed by Judge Larry R. Hicks on 10/09/2013.
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This was a well-documented wild horse killing spree investigation about 18 years ago.
http://www.igha.org/blm33.html
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