Historic weapons stolen from Fort Davis

[SHANEA]

http://www.marfatx.com/uploadedfiles/fort%20theft.html

Historic weapons stolen from Fort Davis
National Historic Site museum

FORT DAVIS – There was a break-in and theft early Wednesday morning at the museum of the Fort Davis National Historic Site. The staff was somewhat shaken by the incident, and few details were available as of press time. The theft is under investigation by the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s office as well as the National Park Service Police.

“It looked like a well-organized burglary,” said John Heiner, Chief of Visitor Services at the site, “it was not just on a whim.

“Right now it is basically still under investigation. The theft was in the park museum and it occurred between midnight and 1 a.m. [Wednesday] morning.” He estimates that around ten artifacts were stolen from the museum. Five glass-fronted display cases were shattered and the items taken were described as “historic weapons.” So far it is believed that entry was gained through a forced window.

“Our buildings are armed,” he said. “There is an alarm system that went off and we were notified by the alarm company.” Superintendent Todd Brindel, who was unavailable for comment, received the early morning call.

[SHANEA]

Historic items go missing around Big Bend area


By JAMES TIERNEY and STERRY BUTCHER

FORT DAVIS, STILLWELL RANCH, LAJITAS - Between Wednesday, April 12, and Monday, April 17, there were three uncommon thefts spread out over the Big Bend region. As reported in the April 13 edition of this paper the museum of the Fort Davis National Historic Site was hit the morning of April 12. Around a dozen historic items were taken, including 19th century firearms and a handmade knife. On Saturday the 15th, the Hallie Stillwell Ranch off Highway 385 north of Big Bend National Park discovered items were missing from their small museum, more 19th century guns, and a special set of arrowheads. And on Monday the 17th, the Lajitas Airport reported an historic flag and, in a peculiar twist, a plasma screen television stolen from their airport lobby.

The thefts, all of which included historical artifacts, occurred in two different counties, and over three different jurisdictions. Investigating the Lajitas and Stillwell Ranch incidents is Brewster County Sheriff Ronnie Dodson, and assisting the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the Fort Davis incident is Jeff Davis County Sheriff Tom Roberts. Both county sheriffs speculated that the burglaries looked like professional jobs and likely were related crimes. The thieves left little trace of their passing through in all three of these cases, and all agencies appear at this time to have no leads.

At the Stillwell Ranch Store, which is owned and operated by Hallie Stillwell’s son-in-law W. T. Potter, widower of Dadie Stillwell who passed five years ago, a 19th century rifle, pistol, and a few old knives were taken. Additionally, a special collection of arrowheads found on the ranch, which had been arranged within a rattlesnake rattle mosaic depicting the Stillwell’s 4L brand, was gone, along with a book autographed by former Texas governor Ann Richards.

“It just makes me sick,” said Potter’s daughter Marie Patton, granddaughter of Hallie Stillwell. “We’re a free museum, the whole thing was built on trust. I’m saddened by the whole thing.” Potter said there was no sign of a break-in, but the museum is self-guided and anyone may request a key at the store.

“I don’t think we have a clue when it happened,” said Patton. Aside from the absent items, the only sign the thieves left behind were the broken locks on the display cases that Potter speculates were cut with bolt-cutters. As with the incidents in Lajitas and Fort Davis, the investigators found no fingerprints.

Speaking of the Fort heist, which has an estimated value of $75,000, Sheriff Roberts said, “Seems like the same M.O. as what happened down in Terlingua [the Stillwell Ranch]...It was cased ahead of time, no fingerprints, no clues whatsoever.” And in Brewster county the word from Sheriff Dodson was, “Nothing yet.”

The flag stolen off the wall in the lobby of the Lajitas airport was a flag of some Mexican faction or another from the Spanish-American War. It was a pendant style flag with old medals pinned to it and was bought by the Lajitas Resort some time ago. Lajitas Resort general manager, Lloyd Van Horn, said that someone is usually living out at the airport, but on the night in question no one was there. The living quarters are connected to the lobby, and the employee at the time was taking the day off. He speculated that whoever stole the flag may have known the building would be empty that evening.

The Lajitas Resort has offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of whoever stole their flag.

http://www.marfatx.com/uploadedfiles/historic%20thefts.html

[SHANEA]

Firearms Stolen From Fort Davis National Historic Site Are RecoveredOn June 6, 2006, federal agents with the assistance of local and state authorities from the States of Texas and North Carolina have recovered the firearms and artifacts stolen from the Fort Davis National Historic Site on the night of April 11, 2006. The stolen firearms and artifacts are now in federal custody. Arrests are pending at this time.

The recovered weapons include seven 19th Century firearms, including five revolvers and two pistols. A number of other historic artifacts have also been recovered. The recovery was made possible by the cooperation and work of the Sheriffs of Jeff Davis and Brewster Counties, the Texas Rangers, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, National Park Service Special Agents and the United States Attorney's Office in Alpine.

The firearms and artifacts will be returned to Fort Davis National Historic Site in the near future.

http://www.alpineavalanche.com/articles/2006/06/08/news/news02.txt

[10ftTall&BulletPrf]

The recovery was made possible by the cooperation and work of the Sheriffs of Jeff Davis and Brewster Counties, the Texas Rangers, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, National Park Service Special Agents and the United States Attorney's Office in Alpine.

There was a POSSE and nobody called me?!?! I'd a stayed at Fort Davis and "held down the fort" while they galavanted around on horses.  :(

[SHANEA]

I thought we'd finally caught up with Joe Edward Landez...  :lol:



http://www.bigbendchat.com/portal/forum/index.php?topic=101.0&highlight=deadbeat

Items recovered, arrests made

in Big Bend museum burglaries

 

By STERRY BUTCHER

The Big Bend Sentinel

Thursday, June 8, 2006

FAR WEST TEXAS – Historic weapons and artifacts stolen in April from the Fort Davis National Historic Site, the Stillwell Ranch and the Lajitas resort have been recovered and will be returned soon to their rightful places.  

“We’re thrilled that the weapons will be coming back home to the museum so folks of the region can enjoy this part of their heritage again,” Fort Davis NHS Superintendent Chuck Hunt said Tuesday. “It’s an amazing success story.”

One person is in custody, reported Hunt, and another “is cooperating fully with investigating officials.” Names of the two individuals have not been officially confirmed, though a source close to the investigation said one suspect was Kirby Amlee, formerly of Terlingua and now of North Carolina, and Joey Priddy, whose background was not known at press time.

The case is expected to go before a Pecos federal grand jury on June 15. There is no information available regarding the $10,000 reward that was offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.

Over the course of five days in mid-April, burglars stole a variety of weapons and artifacts from three Big Bend locations. First hit was Fort Davis, where thieves waited until the wee morning hours to break into the NHS museum to steal five 19th century revolvers, two pistols and a handmade knife. Three days later, items that included 19th century guns and a set of arrowheads were discovered missing from the museum at the Stillwell Ranch in Brewster County. A couple days after that report came the news that a historic flag and a plasma television were taken from the airport at the Lajitas resort.

“The individuals responsible for the burglary at Fort Davis are also allegedly responsible for the break in at the Stillwell Ranch and the Lajitas break in,” said Hunt.

The stolen items are now in federal custody.

“We heard about it yesterday,” said Nan Patton, Hallie Stillwell’s granddaughter said on Wednesday. The family continues to run a store at the ranch, and operates the museum there. “I have faith in human nature again.”

The museum is on the honor system, and visitors are simply given a key and asked to lock up when they leave. The break in had devastated Patton, though she’s jubilant now.

“My mother built the museum on the premise that it is a free museum,” she said. “For a week or two after the burglary, I couldn’t go over there because I didn’t want to see the empty case. We live so far away we feel like we’re immune to things of the big city. When the sheriff called yesterday and they knew where the things were, it restored my faith.”

Patton said the family is discussing added security measures. The fort is in the process of upgrading its security and repairs are being made to the damaged display case.

Hunt marveled at the level of cooperation and expertise demonstrated by the law enforcement officials involved in the case.

“I’m astonished at what teamwork was used to solve this case with federal, state and local officials,” he said. “A real big hero is Jay Miller, an assistant U.S. attorney in Alpine.”

Jeff Davis County Sheriff Tom Roberts, Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson, the Department of Public Safety, Border Patrol, agents from Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, immigration and Customs officials, National Parks Service special agents and law enforcement officers from North Carolina were also among those who worked on the series of burglaries.  

Hunt expects the fort’s missing items to return in the near future.

“It’s exciting to think that visitors will again enjoy seeing these original artifacts that helped tell the incredible story of Fort Davis, the frontier, and the buffalo soldiers,” he said.

http://www.marfatx.com/uploadedfiles/recovered.html

[SHANEA]

http://www.alpineavalanche.com/articles/2006/06/22/news/news02.txt

MEN INDICTED IN ANTIQUITIES HEIST
U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton announced Tuesday that a federal grand jury in Pecos, Texas, returned a three count indictment against Kirby Loren Amlee, 35, of Robbins, North Carolina, formerly of Terlingua, and Joey Kenneth Priddy, 45, of Carthage, North Carolina, for violations of stealing United States property, transporting ammunition by prohibited persons, and transportation of stolen goods.

The indictment stems from a rash of burglaries from the Fort Davis Historical Site, Fort Davis, Texas, and the Hallie Stillwell Museum and the Lajitas International Airport, in south Brewster County, Texas, from April 11-17, 2006.

The burglaries began on the early morning of April 11, at the Stillwell Museum in which a .38 caliber revolver with holster, a 1895 Winchester 30.06 rifle, a double barrel shotgun, two bandoliers, a box of .38 caliber ammunition, numerous Indian arrowheads, a knife with bone handle in a sheath, one tomahawk; a small wooden butter mold and money from the donation box were stolen.

The next burglary occurred during the early morning hours of April 12, at the Fort Davis Historical Site Museum. Entry into the museum was made by the smashing of the transom over the back door of the museum. Several glass displays were also broken into and a Thurber and Allen bar hammer percussion pistol, a Colt Model 1849 Revolver, a Colt Model 1851 Navy Revolver, a Colt Model 1860 Army Revolver, a Colt Model 1873 SAA Revolver, a Colt SAA, a U.S. Model 1842 Percussion Pistol, a Bowie Knife, and cash from a donation box were stolen.

The last burglary occurred on the early morning hours of April 17, at the Lajitas International Airport in which a 42 inch Gateway plasma television, two boxes of medals; a "Mexican Border Service" banner; a gray and black bag; several shirts with the "Lajitas Resort" emblem; and a quantity of Tylenol and No-Doze medication was stolen.

The investigation was spearheaded by Special Agents of the National Park Service from El Paso, Texas, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, and Denver, Colorado, with assistance of personnel at the Fort Davis National Historical Site and Big Bend National Park. The investigation was coordinated with the cooperation and assistance of the Brewster County Sheriff's Office and Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office, the Moore County Sheriff's Office in Carthage, North Carolina, the Patrick County Sheriff's Office in Stuart, Virginia, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Presidio, Texas.

The double barrel shotgun and the two bandoliers were recovered on June 7, in Lajitas, Texas by the Brewster County Sheriff and a Special Agent of the National Park Service. The remaining property, except the money, was retrieved on June 6, in Robbins, North Carolina. The weapons stolen from the Fort Davis National Historical Site are being maintained at the Springfield Armory, Massachusetts, for restoration and will be returned to the Fort Davis Museum shortly.

Each count of the indictment carries with it a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a $250,000 fine, three years supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. A warrant for arrest of Amlee has been issued. Priddy is currently detained at the Patrick County Jail, in Stuart, Virginia, on unrelated charges. A writ will be issued to bring Priddy to the Pecos Federal Courthouse, Pecos, Texas, to face the charges. Coordination has been made with the 83rd Judicial District Attorney, Frank Brown, to prosecute all cases federally. It is anticipated that the defendants will be arraigned on June 27, 2006 with a tentative trial date of August 21, 2006. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James J. Miller, Jr. of Alpine.

[SHANEA]

North Carolina Man Sentenced after Robbery in Fort Davis & Big Bend

Staff Report
NewsWest 9

A North Carolina man was sentenced to 63 months behind bars on Tuesday for his part in a burglary at the Fort Davis National Historic Site and museum, and Big Bend National Park.

36-year-old Kirby Loren Amlee stole seven antique guns and a bowie knife from the Fort Davis site, among other items from the Stilwell Museum and Lajitas Resort.

He also received four year sentence for the firearm theft he was convicted of being a felon with a gun.

[mule ears]

MEN INDICTED IN ANTIQUITIES HEIST
U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton announced Tuesday that a federal grand jury in Pecos, Texas, returned a three count indictment against Kirby Loren Amlee, 35, of Robbins, North Carolina, formerly of Terlingua, and Joey Kenneth Priddy, 45, of Carthage, North Carolina, for violations of stealing United States property, transporting ammunition by prohibited persons, and transportation of stolen goods.

Holy cow, these idiots live/d about 45 minutes from me  .  I am glad they caught and prosecuted them so fast.

[Peach]

What a bunch of knuckleheads  ....glad they were caught!