Arrests made in bear killing incident in Fannin

Published 2:05 am Wednesday, April 28, 2010

State officials continue to investigate a Murray County bear kill despite the arrest last month of five Fannin County men believed involved with killing a female black bear with cubs.

Officials with the state Department of Natural Resources say the Murray County incident appears at this point to be unrelated to the Fannin County incident. 

The arrests were part of an ongoing investigation that started in Murray County on March 3 with the find of an illegally killed female black bear known to have at least two newly born cubs. On March 8 two black bear cubs were turned into a veterinarian’s office in McCaysville. Working from interviews and anonymous tips, DNR rangers interviewed three hog hunters, one of whom, Casey Crawford, admitted to killing a black bear on March 7 on private property along Stanley Gap Trail in Fannin County while hunting for hogs, the DNR said in a press release. The rangers carried out a search warrant on property rented by James E. Shields and Brian Walters, who were involved in removing parts of the dead female black bear and bringing the bear parts and the cubs to their home, according to the press release.

Charges include:

• Crawford, charged with hunting without permission, taking a bear out of season and theft by taking.

• Robert Perkins Jr., charged with hunting without permission and taking a bear out of season.

• Anthony White, charged with conspiracy.

• Shields, charged with possession of marijuana, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, tampering with evidence, possession of freshly taken bear parts out of season, concealing the unlawful taking of wildlife, criminal trespass and theft by taking.

• Walters, charged with concealing the unlawful taking of wildlife, possession of freshly taken bear parts out of season, criminal trespass, tampering with evidence and theft by taken.

Anyone who has information regarding the illegal killing of the female black bear in Murray County or information of anyone in possession of black bear cubs is asked to contact Cpl. Casey Jones or Sgt. John Vanlandingham with the DNR at 1-800-241-4113 or the region office in Calhoun at (706) 624-1367.