Police in Oregon Say Man was a 'Serial-Type' Killer of Wildlife

The man, who admits he is primarily a vegetarian, says he would usually drive around in the darkness and shoot at deer when their eyes were reflected by his spotlight.

(PRINEVILLE, Ore.) - A Prineville man arrested Friday for numerous wildlife-related crimes in what one trooper described as a "serial-type killing of wildlife."

Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division investigators say that during the past several years north of Prineville, over a dozen deer have been found dead after they were shot and left to waste beside Forest Service Roads.

In August 2007, the OSP department aircraft helped locate a suspect spotlighting in the general area where these deer were found.

OSP Fish & Wildlife troopers contacted the suspect identified as 60-year old Ronald A. Livermore of Prineville.

During the contact, troopers say they discovered that Livermore was in possession of a sawed off .22 rifle with a home built silencer and that he had a special compartment in the trunk used to conceal the weapon.

A subsequent forensic examination by the OSP Forensic Laboratory confirmed the weapon was used during the killing of some of the deer.

On April 18th, OSP Senior Trooper Amos Madison arrested Livermore and lodged him in the Crook County Jail on numerous violations.

Ronald A. Livermore

Livermore was charged with Possession of a Short Barreled Rifle with a Silencer, 2 counts of Tampering with Evidence, 8 counts of Illegal Taking of Deer Closed Season, 8 counts of Waste of Deer, 4 counts of Hunting while Suspended, Attempted Taking of Wildlife During Closed Season, 8 counts of Hunting with the Aid of a Light and 8 counts of Aggravated Animal Abuse.

Investigators believe Livermore, who admits he is primarily a vegetarian, would usually drive around in the darkness shining his spotlight, and when he saw eyes he would just shoot at them and then drive on looking for more.

They say many of the dead deer were either pregnant or had recently given birth.

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Anonymous September 8, 2011 7:32 pm (Pacific time)

You people don't know what you are talking about. Get off your high horses. What this man did was inexcusable, but you don't know half the background story. This man was a veteran of the Vietnam war. He served our country and as a result, came home with all the baggage so many Vietnam vets did. He wasn't a "short hair listening to country music garble running around shooting guns with confederate flags." He was a quiet man who helped a lot of people in his day. He certainly had issues, as evidenced by his actions, but instead of slamming him or drawing rash conclusions, why don't you stop and think about the price some of our vets have had to pay. No one likes to think about the vets that come home and struggle and end up in a pretty dark place and spend the rest of their lives dealing with the consequences.

Editor: It may not be reflected in this press release, but we care greatly about Vietnam Vets and many are team writers here, so at least know that we are in your league of thinking for the most part. We have more people mad over police press releases than anything else sometimes.

Z March 28, 2009 10:12 am (Pacific time)

If he ever gets released I hope a redneck like him bumps into this retard when it's dark...thinking he is a deer lurking in the bushes.

Z. Gray April 24, 2008 4:34 pm (Pacific time)

You do not have to be a hunter to be a steward of the environment. I don't hunt, nor do I eat much meat, and my comments are not un informed. I agree that real hunters use the animal and do not poach or let it go to waste. Whether this guy was vegetarian or not is not the point, the fact that he killed animals and simply let them go to waste, is. It's the responsibility of all to be stewards to the environment, not just hunters and those who eat meat.

Anonymous April 24, 2008 8:24 am (Pacific time)

Jack Barlow / rjerryc WOW I had no idea there were people as dumb as yall!

Downard April 22, 2008 2:10 pm (Pacific time)

Real hunters eat what they kill and dont poach. They are stewards of the land and know more about the outdoors than any lunatic vegan. If you aren't a hunter than your comments are un informed and based on your own life style. Fine. Just dont go thinking you know your a hole form a hole in the ground. Cause you dont. If this were a hunter who decided to go burn all vegan crops because he didnt like brussel sprouts...then you would get the idea of what is going on here.

King of the Mountain April 22, 2008 2:10 pm (Pacific time)

This is an out of the ordinary story about a vegetarian who had some kind of personal issue and killed a bunch of animals for no reason. Anyone who likens this behavior to sportmen or any of the anti groups isn't reading the story. I'll hunt and fish till the day I die and for those of you who don't care for it, go home, kick off your leather shoes, have a seat on your leather sofa or enjoy something else around the house made of an animal bi product. People use natural resources in many different ways. Get off your high horse. You're no better than anyone else. They are renewable resources. Use them, eat them, wear them, shoot them....I don't care. Just stop crying when someone uses them differently than you do.

RJS April 22, 2008 9:59 am (Pacific time)

Rjerryc, Get your chain and get back to your tree.

rjerryc April 22, 2008 6:52 am (Pacific time)

With the exception of the numbers of animals slaughtered by this moron, he is little different from most "hunters." Hunting is a carryover from our ancestors who hunted to provide food for their families. That is no longer the reason for hunting. People hunt to make themselves feel more powerful and clever than nature. The cost of the average hunting trip far exceeds the costs of purchasing the equivalent amount of food that is gained by hunting. "Look at me! I am macho. I killed an animal." The real "animals" out there are the ones with the rifles.

Paul Rackley April 22, 2008 6:34 am (Pacific time)

So you blame the gun for shooting the deer. Does that mean they should let him go? After all, according to your logic, it was the gun that did the crime.

Jack Barlow April 21, 2008 3:56 pm (Pacific time)

Great example of a classic Oregonian, makes us all real proud. You have to watch out for these "short hairs" that listen to country music garble and run around shooting guns with confederate flags and gun racks. It is why people are for gun control, believe me.

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Police in Oregon Say Man was a 'Serial-Type' Killer of Wildlife

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