PROVO — Charges were filed in Provo’s 4th District Court Thursday on Utah County residents Cory Brown and Kevin Cloward. Both men were charged with wanton destruction of protected wildlife, which is a third-degree felony, for the killing of 13 deer in Diamond Fork Canyon in Utah County last year.
Both men were also charged with a misdemeanor for discharging a firearm from a vehicle.
The poaching incident occurred on April 9, 2005 when the two suspects allegedly went on a killing spree. Thirteen deer were shot and left to rot.
Information regarding several dead deer in Diamond Fork Canyon was received from a concerned citizen on the Division of Wildlife Resources’ Help Stop Poaching Hotline on April 10.
After hearing of the poaching incident, several organizations offered reward money to help solve the case. The organizations included Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, the Mule Deer Foundation, the Utah Bowmen’s Association, the Division of Wildlife Resources and a local business, Jakes Archery. The organizations contributed $4,500 towards a reward.
After distributing reward posters throughout the community, additional leads from the public assisted DWR conservation officers with the case over the following year. Search warrants were subsequently served on both of the suspects’ residences.
The Help Stop Poaching Hotline has been a critical part of solving many wildlife poaching cases throughout Utah. Twenty five to 30 percent of the poaching cases in Utah are generated by calls to the hotline. An average of 525 calls are received on the hotline every year.
The DWR encourages citizens to call the hotline at 1 662-DEER to report any information regarding wildlife-related crimes.