DUCHESNE COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) Reports of more livestock being killed have emerged in Duchesne County, as announced by the Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office. A $20,000 reward is available for details that lead to the apprehension of the perpetrators.
The latest incident was reported in Mountain Home, an unincorporated community in central Duchesne County.
“Several livestock have fallen prey to pointless killings, the newest being in Mountain Home,” the sheriff’s office states. “We urge everyone to report any suspicious actions happening anywhere in the county. Please reach out to our dispatch at 435-738-2424 or the Livestock Investigator at 435-419-0021.”
The reward was initially publicized in September when authorities began looking into a livestock shooting near State Route 208 in the Tabiona region, where a cow was targeted. Before this incident, a calf had been shot and killed in the same vicinity in late July.
The Sheriff’s Office explained that such crimes result in economic losses for local ranchers and heighten worries about safety for livestock and residents in the area. Therefore, they are offering a $20,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those “involved in the theft, mutilation, or malicious killing of livestock.”
As per Utah Code 76-6-111, the deliberate destruction of livestock can range from a Class B misdemeanor to a second-degree felony, depending on the livestock’s value. Such destruction is defined as any action where someone “injures, physically alters, releases, or causes the death of livestock” with intent, without the owner’s consent.
Anyone with information about these acts is encouraged to call Central Dispatch at 435-738-2424 or reach out to the Utah Dept. of Agriculture and Food Livestock Investigator at 435-419-0021.
