Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest officials say eight horses have been found fatally shot in the Heber-Overgaard area.
They say the horses were found Friday with gunshot wounds by Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Law Enforcement investigators on the Black Mesa Ranger District along State Route 260 between Payson and Show Low.
Forest law enforcement and the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the shootings.
Last February, four dead horses were found inside the Heber Wild Horse Territ
That brought the total to 16 dead horses found since October 2018.
Forest officials say 10 of the dead horses were shot, five were too decomposed to determine a cause of death and one was likely hit by a car.
They say 12 of the 16 dead horses were found outside of the Hebert Horse Territory.
Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
So how long before there is something actually DONE about this? Now that the FBI has made animal abuse a felony – seems some agency somewhere should get involved. I imagine this is really dreaming to even think that – there never seems to be any action when it comes to wild horses being killed. Frankly, having this happen over & over – I’m betting someone in this community is well aware of WHO is doing this killing.
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Over two dozen since Oct 2018 when two bachelor stallions were found shot dead. A killing spree in Jan 2019 killed at least 18. Then Old Buck was killed in April 2019. Now 8 were found shot dead.
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Here is what Steve Best, the (Heber AZ area) forest supervisor said last summer when I requested the investigation status of the Heber wild horses that had been shot (and what kind of a ridiculously stupid, disrespectful and unrelated remark he said about human murders):
“At this time, we do not have any additional details on the investigation that we can provide. It is an ongoing investigation. However, I personally doubt if anyone would ever be caught no matter how much effort has been put into the investigation. There are 50,000 human murders in the US each year and only 30-50% of those are ever solved.
Steve Best
Forest Supervisor
Forest Service
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests
p: 928-333-6300
c: 928-551-7860
stephen.best@usda.gov
30 S. Chiricahua Drive
Springerville, AZ 85938
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Can you please add the state and county where this and other HMAs you report on are located for visitors unfamiliar with the area.
Thank you!
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Navajo County, Arizona, United States. It is a USFS territory (not HMA). The territory is in the mountains about two hours (?) NE of Phoenix. AZ. More information: https://www.facebook.com/HeberWildHorses/
Thanks for asking.
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Grandma Gregg, thank you for publishing this Steve Best’s contact information. He obviously doesn’t give one damn about these wild horses or solving these shooting deaths, as is so typical of officials put in charge of these areas and the wildlife in them. It’s maddening to me that this frame of mind is so prevalent. His inane remark regarding human murders is just ridiculous. You can bet something would be done if it were cattle or sheep being shot. As Maggie pointed out, I am sure that someone in this area knows exactly who is doing these killings.
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*** UPDATE ***
We have received confirmation that 6 MORE Heber wild horses have been found shot to death bringing the TOTAL to 14 this year (2020).
More updated information and photos.
https://www.facebook.com/HeberWildHorses
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As of last evening:
“found out there were 15 found shot dead so far this year. One was near where the last 5 were found but only discovered.”
I believe this makes a total of at least 34 wild horses shot and killed in the Heber area of the Apache-Sitgreaves National forest in Arizona in the last year. So far there have been no arrests and it is has been questioned by many if the local and FS law enforcement are taking the investigation seriously.
Please contact the USFS supervisor and let them know we want a thorough and complete investigation.
Steve Best
Forest Supervisor
Forest Service
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests
p: 928-333-6300
c: 928-551-7860
stephen.best@usda.gov
30 S. Chiricahua Drive
Springerville, AZ 85938
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This is so very sad, and it makes me furious nothing whatsoever is being done to pursue whoever is killing them! These horses are federally protected, and as such, every effort should be made to catch who is doing this heinous act. My bet is on cattle ranchers in the area. How can so many be shot and there be no witnesses?? I’m sure that these murderers are bragging about their actions and smell something rotten here….and have a feeling this is a huge coverup. I’ve emailed this Steve Best and will also be calling him. I hope others do the same…shame on him for not doing his job and looking into this.
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What kind of evil-hearted maggots get their “jollies” from killing innocent wild horses? As if that isn’t bad enough, those are the kind of persons that need to be captured and locked up before they start shooting innocent people too.
Good luck getting any good answers from the local FS supervisor down there. The response I got was a sugar-coated bunch of malarkey including his statement that they had assigned a special full time “detailer” to the killing issue but it is my understanding that this special FS “detailer actually thought that a pregnant mare was a stallion!
None the less, we MUST keep contacting the FS because they only want to wait until the public has forgotten and they can sweep the whole mess under the rug as is so often done when corruption is involved. About a year ago about 20 of these beautiful wild horses were killed and now another 15 killed.
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Here are two more persons to contact regarding the killing of the Heber wild horses.
Congressman Tom O’Halleran
c/o Lucas LaRose, Legislative Assistant
Lucas.LaRose@mail.house.gov
Forest Service Law Enforcement
Officer John Lopez
jjlopez@fs.fed.us
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