JOHNSON: These broken fences will take a long time to mend

By Bill Johnson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Thursday, May 8, 2008

It was, in the end, a contract killing, a contract massacre.

And the Texas CEO who is alleged to have hired out the hit, it turns out, apparently tired of doing the job himself.

The affidavit seeking the arrest of Austin corporate leader Jeff Hawn and signed on Thursday by Park County District Court Judge Stephen A. Groome reads like something out of an Old West novel - a feud between two large-spread ranchers that ends with one rounding up a posse to settle things in a fury of gunshots, blood and death.

The dead, in this case, are 32 head of Fairplay rancher Monte Downare's prize bison, which his neighbor, Jeff Hawn, is now alleged to have shot and killed, or hired others to kill over several weeks dating back to late February.

Jeff Hawn, who purchased his 362-acre ranch abutting Monte Downare's spread in 1995, is charged with a single felony count of theft, a single count of criminal mischief and 32 felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals.

The story of the feud is long, one that culminated last February when Jeff Hawn allegedly reached his fill of Monte Downare's bison jumping or otherwise destroying his fences to graze on his property. What follows is culled directly from the arrest affidavit.

Authorities were first notified of the slaughter on March 19 when the Downares called 911 to report shots being fired at the bison. When deputies arrived, they discovered 14 people shooting at bison. They called a cease-fire and confiscated 12 rifles.

One of the shooters, identified in the affidavit as Antonino Salcedo, immediately turned over a letter written by Stephen Csajaghy, a Denver lawyer, and signed by his client, Jeff Hawn.

"No governmental entity has jurisdiction over trespassing buffalo onto my private lands," the letter began.

The Downares had not responded to repeated request for help with the bison, the letter dated Feb. 18 continued, so the hunters were granted permission to hunt the bison or remove them live to a destination of their choice.

"I ask that you get started as quickly as possible," the letter said, adding that "we will contact you by telephone when we see buffalo . . . so as to enhance your chances."

Perhaps it is only fitting that Antonino Salcedo would meet Jeff Hawn through a chance encounter in this sage-strewn, largely desolate mountain valley community at a place called Papa Joe's General Store.

He'd walked in and heard John Norman, who once owned Jeff Hawn's spread and now works it as a caretaker, inquire about "buffalo management."

The two men later conversed in the store parking lot. They exchanged telephone numbers.

No fool, Antonino Salcedo liked the idea of getting free bison meat, but wanted a notarized letter from John Norman granting him and his pals permission for the hunt. It was provided.

On that March 19 morning, though, Salcedo and the others arrived to find at least 16 bison already lying dead, none even remotely dressed out for harvest.

They went on their hunt, anyway.

They would shoot others on the Hawn property, adjacent Bureau of Land Management lands and on neighboring property. Investigators found that at least seven of the 16 cow bison killed prior to March 19 were about to calve.

According to the affidavit, Jeff Hawn had arrived in Colorado from Texas on Feb. 25. Witnesses told deputies they saw him on his property carrying a 30.06 rifle. On March 27, deputies conducted a search of Hawn's home, finding the rifle and boxes of 30.06 shells.

Subsequent testing of the slugs taken from the 16 dead bison made them a match for Jeff Hawn's rifle, the affidavit states. Bail for him has been set at $15,000.

Attempts to reach the principals in this tale were unsuccessful. Calls to Stephen Csajaghy were greeted with a message that he would be unavailable until May 12.

Of criminal charges being filed against the 14 shooters in the case, Park County Undersheriff Monte Gore said none have been filed, "not at this time."

The bison slaughter has remained the talk of Fairplay, much the way it has been since it happened.

"People here are (miffed)," said Dave O'Bregan, owner of the pub just outside of town that bears his name. "If one of us had done this, we'd already be roped and tossed into jail."

Told late Thursday of the charges against Jeff Hawn, Dave O'Bregan, happy hour going full-tilt, said, "That is incredible."

He polled the crowd on the severity of the charges. Hoots and shouting can be heard over the telephone.

"To us, it sounds pretty light," he reported back. "You just can't kill another man's livestock."

Fifteen-thousand dollars bail? Dave O'Bregan shouts to the crowd, to another loud echo of catcalls and groans.

"Fifteen-thousand dollars - I'll bet he has that in his pocket right now, and is laughing. He'll bond out in a second. All that's telling him is this is not a serious thing.

"But up here, it is."

johnsonw@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2763