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.”
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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
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