In late 2018, the Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police uncovered a chilling case involving a group of young trophy hunters. Over just a few months, they had illegally taken at least 19 deer - often during nighttime hunts near residential neighborhoods. What started as a routine investigation quickly unraveled into something far more disturbing: secret planning sessions, a manifesto detailing their exploits, and a twisted tribute to the grandfather who taught them to night hunt. Join Investigator Patrick Kiely as he recounts the unbelievable story of the “Killing Krew Klan.”
Our Sponsors:
Thin Green Line Podcast
Don Noyes Chevrolet
North American Game Warden Museum
Hunt Regs
WiseEye
SecureIt Gun Storage
XS Sights
“A Cowboy in the Woods” Book
Maine's Operation Game Thief
International Wildlife Crimestoppers
Here’s what we discuss:
· An area known for night hunting
· Spotting night hunters requires patience and timing
· The state’s healthy deer population is tempting for poachers
· A patrol officer spots suspicious signs
· The initial arrest leads to more questions
· Cell phones: everyone documents everything
· “I wouldn’t even call them hunters; they were trophy poachers.”
· It definitely wasn’t squirrels
· The group is released but phones are seized
· A stunning discovery
· “It was an every-night occurrence.”
· The group frequently hunted near houses
· None of 19 deer were registered
· The puzzle pieces: pictures, locations and times
· The serial poaching had gone on for years, and had grown
· Group relied on thinly stretched law enforcement
· A specific 16-point buck and an unlikely story
· US Fish and Wildlife joins the investigation
· Cell phone metadata pinpoints locations and times
· “Not a care in the world.”
· A handwritten manifesto is found
· The ‘zombie’ deer
· Timing was perfect – and lucky
· Even illegal roadkill wasn’t off limits to the ‘Klan’
· $100 does for sale, and banquet hall venison
· Multiple deer were taken nightly
· Managing investigations and public perception
· Hunters had noticed a decline
· “It was a joke to them.”
· Many state charges were misdemeanors
· Local hunters weigh in
· Technology has changed investigation strategies
· Limitation statutes prevented even more charges
· Getting buy-in from other agencies
· Balancing criminal and wildlife investigations can be a challenge
· The cell phones were crucial
· Rising bear population has led to conflicts
· Educating the public
· Staffing numbers are on the rise
· “It was a learning experience for all of us.”
Credits
Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores
Producer: Jay Ammann
Warden’s Watch logo & Design: Ashley Hannett
Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches
Subscribe:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Amazon
Waypoint
Stitcher
TuneIn
Megaphone
Find More Here:
Website
Warden’s Watch / TGL Store
Facebook Fan Page
Threads
YouTube
RSS
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
