Posted on 06/16/2010 9:57:56 AM PDT by SandRat
SIERRA VISTA — Few new details on the shooting death of a Cochise County rancher were revealed by a number of newly released sheriff’s office reports in which much information was blacked out with a marker.
Robert Krentz was reported missing by relatives March 27 after they lost contact with him while he was out checking wells on his 35,000-acre property northeast of Douglas.
His body was found that night by authorities searching the area.
While the 56-page file that was released Tuesday contains very little new information, it does provide a timeline of events in the moments just prior to the shooting and the subsequent investigation.
Here’s a look at that timeline as related:
On the morning of March 27, Robert Krentz went out to check on four wells scattered throughout his property.
Between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m., Krentz radioed his brother, Phil Krentz, and said he had encountered an illegal immigrant who was apparently injured. This account was corroborated by two local ranchers who said they heard the radio traffic from their property nearby, according to the narratives of Cochise County deputies and investigators contained in the report.
After the initial message, contact between Krentz and his brother was lost.
About 30 minutes later, Krentz’s son, Frank Krentz, went to Lower Well, the first well his father was checking that day, after noticing the dirt path leading to the next well did not show tracks his father’s ATV would have left, had it proceeded on to the next well.
When the son arrived at Lower Well around 11 a.m., Robert Krentz was nowhere to be found, according to the report. Family members began to call and radio for Robert Krentz, but received no reply.
About 6:45 p.m., the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office received a call from the Krentz family reporting Robert Krentz missing.
A search began, and shortly before midnight, a Department of Public Safety helicopter located Krentz’s body about half a mile from the well.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene soon after and determined both Krentz and his dog Blue had been shot.
Krentz was pronounced dead at the scene, while the dog, which later had to be euthanized due to its injuries, continued to protect him from approaching investigators.
As the sun began to rise about 6:10 a.m. the following morning, sheriff’s deputies and a Department of Corrections chase team followed the ATV’s tread marks north from the scene.
About 1,000 feet away, acceleration marks, dog tracks and a single set of footprints were found, according to the report.
Utilizing a bloodhound, the chase team began following the footprints south.
An agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement later informed deputies that he tracked the same set of footprints to about a mile north of the Mexican border.
While no suspects have been arrested, during an April appearance before the congressional Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee in Washington, Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever told Sens. John McCain and Joseph Lieberman that he had reason to believe the killer “was a scout for a drug-smuggling organization.”
The day prior to his death, Phil Krentz reported a number of drug smugglers on the property to Border Patrol. More than 200 pounds of marijuana was seized and the smugglers were taken into custody, according to authorities.
Border Crime Ping
Sounds to me as if the “injured illegal immigrant” was a trap for Mr. Krentz.
Obama refuses to guard the boarders, the local police say they don’t have the manpower to control the territory.
It is time for citizens of our country to arm themselves and move in to defend our borders from alien invaders who seek to harm our people.
Likely it was a trap.
The use of a common radio frequency is smart, but going about checking his wells without backup wasn’t.
That’s a war zone down there, the people are going to have to shed their civilian mindset and start behaving like the soldiers they must become to survive.
I’m generally a cold hearted b@stard.
I don’t know why, but something about this guy’s story actually makes my eyes a bit watery.
I think it has to to with him being a rancher or something.
Ping!
BTT!!
Soldiers cannot operate cattle ranches and make a profit. Are you suggesting that they pick up and move out or are we willing to work harder for them and correct the deficiency in border security?
God Bless this good man and his loyal dog, who are now in heaven together. This tragedy hurts my heart.
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