Wyoming: Back in 2014, Mitch Reay and his wife Melisa Reay took their small child with them while they went and killed a relatively tame deer in a residential area. As is the norm with animal crimes, Reay got probation... and promptly violated the terms of it and was re-arrested

WYOMING -- Back in 2014, Mitchell Reay and his wife Melisa Reay got their best camouflage outfits on, bundled their small child into their car and drove to a residential area to kill animals.

They found a large mule deer wandering around and grazing on the lawn of a house and they shot and killed it with a bow and arrow.

A homeowner who heard the disturbance came out and saw them driving away. Clearly wanting the animal they had just killed, they returned to the scene of the crime. Wildlife officers investigated and Mitchell Reay confessed to illegally killing the deer.

He was also charged with reckless endangering for shooting arrows in a residential area. Of course, the news story claimed he was facing $11,000 in fines and up to 2-1/2 years in jail. I predicted neither of those things would happen and I was correct - he was given probation.

 

Lucky for us, he's such an idiot that he didn't even get very far into this probation before he was arrested for driving without a license. Because he was arrested while on probation, he violated the terms of his probation agreement and was re-arrested for that.

Now what is supposed to happen is that he spends the rest of his probation sentence in the county jail. However, that rarely happens either. He'll probably go to court a couple times and then they'll tell him he has been a bad boy - and he'll be allowed to continue his probation as though he'd never violated it. Yeah, the judicial system sucks.

The following individuals have been booked at the Sweetwater County Detention Center on September 27, 2015: Mitchell Dean Reay, 44 of Rock Springs was arrested by the RSPD for alleged driving while under suspension.

The following individuals have been booked at the Sweetwater County Detention Center August 3, 2016: Mitchell Dean Reay, 45 of Rock Springs was arrested by the RSPD on a warrant for probation violation.

Arrest Information
Full Name: Mitchell Dean Reay
Aliases:  Mitch Reay, Mitch Dean Reay, Mitch D. Reay, Mitchell D. Reay
Gender: Male
City: Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901
Height: 5'08"
Weight: 140 lbs
Hair Color: BLOND OR S
Eye Color: BLUE
Arrest Age: 45
Date:08/03/2016
Arrest Time: 5:45 PM
Arresting Agency: ROCK SPRINGS POLICE DEPT
Arrest Location: Sweetwater County, Wyoming
Total Bond: $800
Charge
#1 WRNT-SCCE-PROBATION VIOLATION-TAKING GAME ANIMALS W/OUT A LICENSE
BOND: $800

Although with her husband, Melisa Reay (aka Melissa Ann Reay, Melissa A. Reay, Melissa Reay, Melisa Ann Reay, Melisa A. Reay, Melisa A. Betts, Melisa Ann Betts, Melissa Betts, Melissa A. Betts, Melissa Ann Betts), when the deer was shot and killed - and she took her small child along with them while they committed this crime together, she was not charged. 

Records show Melisa Reay has previous arrests: on March 22, 2011 and again on November 6, 2015.

Earlier:

• Wyoming: Idiots Mitchell Reay and Melissa Reay thought it was a good idea to put their child in the car and go killing deer in residential areas

Utah: Eight teens arrested after killing deer, including babies, for fun. Serial killers in the making?

Eight juveniles have been connected to the alleged poaching senselessly killing some two dozen deer in Tooele and Emery counties, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources reports.

The incidents go back at least several weeks if not months, with four juveniles identified, some charges brought and additional charges anticipated in each of the counties, DWR officials say.

An estimated 15 to 20 mule deer — bucks, does and fawns — allegedly were killed in Emery County, in the vicinity of Orangeville, by one group of juveniles. DWR investigators said it appeared two of the suspects were responsible for most of the poaching killing there, with two more teens "involved to a lesser extent."

All the animals were left to rot where they died.

DWR said those cases have been referred to the Emery County Attorney's Office for screening of charges.

The Tooele County juveniles, meanwhile, are believed to have killed at least six deer over the past several months, including a mule deer buck on Jan. 7.

Two of those juveniles were arrested and booked on suspicion of class A misdemeanor counts of wanton destruction, and aiding and abetting in destruction of protected wildlife. They also face possible charges related to drug and alcohol possession, trespassing and firearms violations.

DWR officials said Thursday that more wildlife-related charges were expected in connection with other deer poaching going back several months.

(The Salt Lake Tribune - Jan 21, 2016)

Charges 'Imminent' in Twin Falls Buck Poaching Case

IDAHO -- Investigators are still looking at evidence in the case of a trophy buck that was poached inside Twin Falls City limits in late January.

Officers are working with the Twin Falls County Prosecutor's Office and "charges are imminent," said Josh Royse, Fish and Game Regional Conservation Officer.

Royce said he could not give a timeline for when the charges might be filed.

"Nothing gold can stay": Lauren Hatch took this photo a few days
 before the news broke that some idiotic hunter shot and killed it.

"We'll be getting as much info out as soon as we can without compromising the integrity of the investigation," Royse said.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game and Twin Falls Police officers served a search warrant Feb. 11 at 336 Fillmore St. in Twin Falls.

Investigators collected more than 30 pieces of physical evidence from the house. Officers got the warrant after following up on tips from the public, Royse said.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game officers execute a search warrant
Wednesday,  Feb. 11, 2015, on Fillmore Street in Twin Falls.

He declined to elaborate on the evidence taken from the house.

“We treat these like homicide cases. We’re going through everything with a fine tooth comb,” he said the day the warrant was served.

Investigators are tying evidence found with the carcass to a “strong” suspect, he said.

The mule deer, a buck with unique and easily identifiable antlers, was poached on either Jan. 26 or Jan. 27. Portions of the meat were taken, along with the head and antlers, Fish and Game said.



His head ripped off and the rest of him abandoned to rot.

The agency sifted through dozens of calls and tips after the total reward for information leading to a conviction was boosted to $2,800.

Washington Street Pawn offered $1,000 to enhance the standard $300 reward from Citizens Against Poaching for information leading to a conviction. The Mule Deer Foundation, the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Sportsman’s Warehouse store in Twin Falls cooperatively offered another $1,500.

(Twin Falls Times-News - Feb 27, 2015)

Wyoming: Idiots Mitch Reay and Melisa Reay thought it was a good idea to put their child in the car and go killing deer in residential areas

WYOMING -- A man accused of shooting and killing a deer on College Hill will make his first court appearance on October 30 after being summoned  to appear earlier on Wednesday.

Mitchell Dean Reay (aka Mitch Reay, Mitchell Reay) of Rock Springs was summonsed to appear but was not arrested on three alleged charges stemming from an incident on College Hill on Sept. 27 after a deer was shot and killed.

Reay faces the charges of taking killing a big game without a license, killing / hunting a mule deer in the wrong hunting area and reckless endangering. If he is convicted on all three charges, Reay could face 2-1/2 years in jail, up to $11,000 in fines or both. -- but we all know that won't happen. They'll give him a couple hundred dollar fine and give him probation.

According to court documents, Dave Hays of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department reported on Sept 27 at 7:30 p.m. the WG&F Department responded to 1204 Hilltop and met with a person who observed a large 3×3 mule deer buck lying dead with a wound to the left front shoulder area.

The report states the wound appeared to have three distinct cuts in a triangular pattern, consistent with a three-bladed broadhead on an arrow.

The witness told Hays he saw a white passenger car in the immediate area while making the initial call to law enforcement. Hays stated in the report while he was observing the deer, he also observed a white passenger car drive by the location once and then slowly returned again a few minutes later.

Hays approached the car and observed a female driver and male passenger both dressed in camouflage clothing with a small child in the backseat.

Hays said he asked the occupants if they had seen anyone shoot the deer and the occupants replied they did not. Hays said he detected alleged evasive behaviors in their mannerisms and responses. The male told investigators he did have a bow in the trunk of the car and showed it to them.

The occupants were identified as Mitchell Reay and Melisa Reay (aka Melissa Reay, Melissa Ann Reay, Melissa Betts, Melisa Ann Betts, Melisa Betts) both of Rock Springs. Investigators recorded the license plate and advised the couple they were free to go home.

Game and Fish recovered the deer, field dressed it at a remote location outside of town and placed the carcass in the evidence cooler at the Green River Regional Office.

Early on Sept. 28, investigators returned to Hilltop to search for an arrow. Resident Robert Every told investigators he found an arrow near his mailbox. It was lying at the base of the post holding the mailbox and had left a cutting blade stuck in it. One blade was missing and a third blade was still attached to the arrow. The arrow was short in length and appeared to be a crossbow bolt.

Investigators contacted Mitchell Reay and conducted an interview with him. At first he allegedly denied involvement but eventually confessed to shooting the deer with an arrow and provided a written statement and confession.

The reckless endangering charge was added due to the arrow landing in front of two house, one which had a large window facing the mailbox.

Due to the trajectory of the recovered bolt, it was allegedly fired directly towards an area of residential homes . If the bolt had flown in a slightly different path, it allegedly could have caused injury or death to persons present in the area.

(Sweetwater Now - October 8, 2014)