Breaking News: No charges will be brought against TWRA officers accused of bear baiting
By Rick Laneyof The Daily Times Staff
Originally published: February 13. 2008 2:54PM
Last modified: February 13. 2008 4:56PM
No charges will be brought against two Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) officers and two other men accused of hunting bear over a baited area last September.
A group of Blount County hunters reported that Mitch Clure and Curt Henderson, both TWRA officers, along with McClure’s father and uncle, were running dogs and hunting near a 20-gallon drum covered with sticks on property off Montvale Road on Chilhowee Mountain.
TWRA officials were called to Chilhowee Mountain when a group of 20 to 25 hunters claimed to have found the four hunting bear near a plastic barrel containing donuts.
On Wednesday afternoon, Charles “Chuck” Murphy, an assistant district attorney in Jefferson County, told The Daily Times that no charges would be brought against the four men.
“There’s simply not enough evidence to take to a grand jury,” Murphy said. “This case will be closed.
“I haven’t even written my brief yet — but I can tell you there will be no charges.”
Willard Perryman, a supervisor for the TWRA, led the investigation, but then turned his findings over to Blount County District Attorney General Mike Flynn in early October because two of the four accused men work for Perryman.
To avoid any appearance of conflict, Flynn then turned the findings over to District Attorney General for the 4th Judicial District James “Jimmy” Dunn’s office in Sevierville in December.
According to Perryman, about 20 people are charged with bear baiting each year in Tennessee, and approximately 30 are charged with deer baiting.
“I’m not aware of any other instance when a wildlife officer was accused of hunting over bait,” Perryman said shortly after the incident.
For more on this story, return to www.thedailytimes.com, or pick up a copy of Thursday's print edition of The Daily Times.