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East Oregonian
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Reward offered in poisoning case
The Observer
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LA GRANDE — Conservation
and animal rights groups are step-
ping forward to help the Oregon
State Police solve a case involving
eight gray wolves that were fatally
poisoned in Union County during
the past year.
The groups are offering a
combined reward of $36,000 for
information leading to a convic-
tion in the case, according to a
press release.
“Poisoning wildlife is a
profoundly dangerous and serious
crime, putting imperiled species,
companion animals and people
all at risk,” said Bethany Cotton,
conservation director for Cascadia
Wildlands. “We call on those with
information about this reckless
killing to come forward to protect
Oregon’s wildlife and our commu-
nities.”
The $36,000 in combined
rewards are being offered by
Wolves of the Rockies, Center
for Biological Diversity, Casca-
dia Wildlands, Defenders of
Wildlife, Humane Society of the
United States, Northeast Oregon
Ecosystems, Oregon Wild, Preda-
tor Defense and Wild Earth Guard-
ians.
“This is a cowardly and despi-
cable act,” said Brooks Fahy, exec-
utive director of Predator Defense,
an Oregon-based national wildlife
advocacy nonprofit. “It is abso-
lutely critical that the perpetrator
of this crime be caught and prose-
cuted to the full extent of the law.
The Oregon State Police should
Oregon State Police is asking
anyone with information about
the poisonings to contact the
agency at the Turn-In Poach-
ers Hotline at 800-452-7888, or
email TIP@state.or.us, referenc-
ing case No. SP21-033033.
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife/
Contributed Photo
Lab concluded the wolves had been
poisoned.
Fish and Wildlife troopers in
March again received information
from ODFW personnel of a wolf
collar emitting a mortality signal in
the same general location. A search
of the area located a deceased
female wolf, which was sent to the
USFWS lab for testing. The female
wolf was dispersing from the Keat-
ing Pack.
Two more collared wolves were
found dead in Union County after
the initial incidents. In April, a
deceased adult male wolf from the
Five Points Pack was located west
of Elgin, and in July a young female
wolf from the Clark Creek Pack
was discovered northeast of La
Grande. Toxicology reports from
the USFWS lab confirmed the pres-
ence of poison in each wolf.
“We are furious and appalled.
These poisonings are a significant
blow to wolf recovery in Oregon.
Such a targeted attack against these
incredible creatures is unaccept-
able and we hope our reward will
help bring the criminals who did
this to justice,” said Sristi Kamal,
senior northwest representative for
Defenders of Wildlife.
The Oregon State Police is seek-
ing the public’s help in an investi-
gation into the poisoning of eight
wolves in Eastern Oregon. Six
conservation and animal rights
are pulling together $26,000 for a
reward for information leading to
a conviction in the case.
aggressively pursue all leads that
will help bring the individual who
carried out this atrocity to justice.”
The poisoning case dates back
to February when Oregon State
Police reported troopers from its
Fish and Wildlife Division divi-
sion received information from
the Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife about a dead collared wolf.
Troopers responded to the area and
found five dead wolves — three
males and two females. It was later
determined the wolves were from
the Catherine Pack.
The wolves were southeast
of Mount Harris, within Union
County. The five wolves were
collected and transported to the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Forensics Lab in Ashland to deter-
mine the cause of death. The U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics
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East Oregonian
SALEM — The Oregon Judi-
cial Department in a press release
Friday, Dec. 3, reported fraudu-
lent phone calls, emails and texts
again are targeting Oregonians
and threatening them with fines,
prosecution or jail time for failing
to comply with jury service.
Most of the recent reports
are from the Willamette Valley,
according to the department, but
it is likely that other areas may be
targeted as well.
In these calls, emails or texts,
recipients are pressured to provide
confidential data, such as bank
account information, credit card
numbers, date of birth or Social
Security numbers, potentially
leading to identity theft and fraud.
These fraudulent calls or messages
— which threaten recipients with
fines and jail time if they do not
comply — are not connected with
the state or federal courts.
State and federal courts do not
require anyone to provide sensi-
tive information in a telephone
call, email or text. Oregon state
courts may provide jury notices
and reminders by text, but these
will not request personal infor-
mation, make threats or demand
money, according to the press
release.
The Oregon Judicial Depart-
ment advised anyone receiving
such a jury-related telephone call,
email or text demanding informa-
tion or money should not provide
By GARRETT
ANDREWS
The Bulletin
49° 41°
43° 34°
Jury duty scams targeting
residents again in Oregon
the information or payment, reply
directly to the text or email, click
on any links or open any attach-
ments — even if it appears the
message is coming from the court
or a local police agency. Scam-
mers often can create messages
that look like they are coming
from a legitimate source. If possi-
ble, get the caller’s name and
number and then hang up. Reach
out directly to the local court to
verify or report the contact.
For state courts, including
the circuit courts in each Oregon
county, report the call or contact to
the local circuit court jury coordi-
nator immediately. Contact infor-
mation for Oregon’s state circuit
courts is available at courts.
oregon.gov/courts. For Oregon’s
federal courts, information about
jury service and possible scams
is available at ord.uscourts.gov/
jurors.
The department also stated it is
a crime for anyone to falsely claim
to be a state or federal court offi-
cial.
If you have received one of
these calls, emails or texts and
have given out personal informa-
tion, monitor your account state-
ments and credit reports carefully.
If any unauthorized charges are
made, report the theft to local law
enforcement and the Federal Trade
Commission at 877-438-4338 or
www.consumer.gov/idtheft. And
contact a credit bureau to request
it place a fraud alert on your credit
history.
Man escapes life sentence
for rape due to ‘technicality’
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
43° 29°
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
BEND — A La Pine man
got out of a life sentence for
rape because of wording
chosen by a trial court in
the 1980s.
John Clark Craig, 62,
appeared Thursday, Dec.
2, for re-sentencing in
Deschutes County Circuit
Court, having successfully
appealed a life sentence
handed down in 2019 after
raping a woman while she
was too intoxicated to
consent.
Craig, who has prior
convictions for sex crimes in
1981 and 1995, had received
the sentence under Oregon’s
“three strikes” law for sex
crimes.
Now, he’ll now return
to prison to finish a term of
eight years, four months.
“Mr. Craig is getting off
from a life sentence due to
a technicality,” prosecu-
tor Matthew Nelson told
the judge.
“His 1981
sex cr ime
h ap p e ne d .
H i s 19 95
sex cr ime
h ap p e ne d .
Craig
And his
2018 rape
happened. But for a techni-
cality, he should be serving
life in prison. Instead, he
will serve 100 months.”
In March 1981, Craig
was convicted in Washing-
ton County of attempted
first-degree rape. He was
given probation with a
10-year prison term hanging
over his head if he violated
his probation.
In April 1995, Craig
was convicted in Washing-
ton County of first-degree
sexual abuse and attempted
first-degree rape. He again
received only probation.
Then, a little over two
years ago, Craig was again
arrested for rape.
The state recommended
a life sentence due to the
fact Craig had two prior sex
convictions. Judge Bethany
Flint went along with the
recommendation.
On appeal, Craig argued
his 1981 sex crime should
not have counted toward
his eligibility for life with-
out parole under Oregon’s
three strikes law for sex
crimes because in that case
he served only probation,
which was not considered
a “sentence” in 1981. It was
considered an alternative to
a sentence.
In September, the Oregon
Court of Appeals issued its
ruling agreeing with Craig,
holding that convictions
for felony sex crimes must
result in a sentence to count
toward a defendant’s three-
strikes status.
At Craig’s latest sentenc-
ing Dec. 2, the state
requested his new sentence
a l ig n w it h O r e go n’s
Measure 11 mandator y
minimum sentencing law.
The judge agreed.
New
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Dec 10
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Enterprise man dies
in single-vehicle crash
In remembrance of
Pearl Harbor Day
WALLOWA COUNTY — An Enterprise
man died in a traffic crash at around 5 a.m.
Sunday, Dec. 5, according to Oregon State
Police.
OSP and emergency personnel responded
to a single-vehicle crash on Highway 3 near
milepost 13 at about 4:51 a.m.
The response team found Christopher
Thacker, 36, of Enterprise, was driving a
Ford F250 pickup northbound and drifted
across the highway and eventually crashed
into a tree about 200 feet from the road.
Thacker died at the scene.
OSP, Enterprise Fire, Wallowa County
Emergency Medical Services and Oregon
Department of Transportation responded
to the crash.
Tuesday, Dec. 7, is National Pearl Harbor
Remembrance Day, or, more simply, Pearl
Harbor Day, when the U.S. honors and
remembers the 2,403 service members
and civilians who were killed during the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec.
7, 1941.
Dick Higgins served in the Navy and
survived the Pearl Harbor attack. Now 100
and living in Bend, Higgins recounted that
day and more in a feature story for The
Bulletin in Bend, related paper to the East
Oregonian. You can find the story at www.
eastoregonian.com.
—EO Media Group
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