"ANY CHARGES REPORTED IN THESE PRESS RELEASES ARE
MERELY ACCUSATIONS AND THE DEFENDANTS ARE PRESUMED INNOCENT UNLESS AND
UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY"
BUTTE...CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 3RD DEGREE
INDICTMENT...(REINDEER SHOOTING UPDATE) ON 3/27/03 A PALMER GRAND JURY
RETURNED AN INDICTMENT FOR FIVE COUNTS OF CRIMINAL MISCHIEF IN THE THIRD
DEGREE, CLASS "C" FELONY OFFENSES, AGAINST CALEB G. BENNETT, AGE 20, OF THE
BUTTE, FOR HAVING ALLEGEDLY SHOT SEVEN REINDEER (FIVE OF WHICH DIED)
DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF 1/31/03.
THE INDICTMENT WAS A RESULT OF A TWO MONTH INVESTIGATION BY ALASKA
STATE TROOPERS AFTER THOMAS WILLIAMS, OWNER OF THE "REINDEER FARM" ON
BODENBURG LOOP ROAD IN THE BUTTE REPORTED THAT SEVEN OF HIS REINDEER HAD
BEEN SHOT. WILLIAMS HEARD THE SHOOTING AND OBSERVED A SUSPECT FLEE THE
SCENE ON SNOWMACHINE. WILLIAMS ATTEMPTED TO FOLLOW THE SNOWMACHINE FOR
SEVERAL MINUTES IN HIS PERSONAL VEHICLE BUT WAS UNABLE TO CAPTURE THE
SUSPECT.
FIVE OF THE SEVEN REINDEER DIED AS A RESULT OF THEIR INJURIES. THE DEAD
AND INJURED ANIMALS WERE REPORTED BY WILLIAMS TO BE WORTH APPROXIMATELY
$15,000.00. STATE TROOPERS OBTAINED EXPENDED CARTRIDGE CASINGS FROM THE
SCENE AS WELL AS SOME BULLETS FROM THE DECEASED ANIMALS.
STATE TROOPERS RECEIVED SEVERAL LEADS WHICH PROVED VALUABLE DURING THE
INVESTIGATION, INCLUDING ONE FROM A BUTTE RESIDENT WHO WAS OUTRAGED WITH
THIS INCIDENT AND SPENT SEVERAL HOURS FOLLOWING THE SUSPECT'S
SNOWMACHINE TRACKS THE MORNING OF THE SHOOTING. HE FOLLOWED THE TRACKS
TO A RESIDENCE ON JUNIPER STREET IN THE BUTTE. THIS LEAD WAS COUPLED TO
A LEAD FROM ANOTHER BUTTE RESIDENT WHO REPORTED THAT HER CABLE SERVICE
WAS INTERRUPTED ON 1/31/03. WHEN REPAIR CREWS ARRIVED THEY FOUND WHAT
APPEARED TO BE PARTS OF A SNOWMACHINE WHICH HAD DAMAGED A CABLE BOX.
STATE TROOPERS LOCATED A DAMAGED SNOWMACHINE AT A RESIDENCE ON JUNIPER
STREET AND OBTAINED CONSENT TO SEIZE FIREARMS FROM THE RESIDENCE. WHEN
SUBMITTED TO THE STATE CRIME LABORATORY, , A FIREARM EXAMINER
CONCLUSIVELY MATCHED ONE OF THE FIREARMS TO THE FIRED CARTRIDGES LOCATED
AT THE SCENE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT BENNETT HAD ACCESS TO THE JUNIPER
STREET RESIDENCE. BENNETT, WHO HAD BEEN EMPLOYED BY WILLIAMS AND WORKED
ON THE "REINDEER FARM" FOR A BRIEF TIME IN 1998, IS BELIEVED TO HAVE
LEFT THE STATE OF ALASKA.
AN ARREST WARRANT WAS ISSUED FOR BENNETT BY THE PALMER COURT WITH BAIL
SET AT $50,000.00 AND COURT APPROVED THIRD PARTY CUSTODIAN. IN ADDITION
TO THE INDICTMENT COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED IN THE PALMER COURT BY THE
DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE CHARGING BENNET WITH SEVEN MISDEMEANOR COUNTS
OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS AND ONE COUNT OF MISCONDUCT INVOLVING WEAPONS IN
THE 4TH DEGREE. ALASKA STATE TROOPERS CONTINUE THEIR EFFORTS TO LOCATE
BENNETT AND RETURN HIM TO ALASKA FOR PROSECUTION. (DEC0)