Two residents from Colorado have been charged after allegedly trespassing and stealing artifacts from a historic cowboy camp.
On Monday, Nov. 4, the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Utah, announced in a press release that Roxanne McKnight, 39, and Dusty Spencer, 43, of Durango, Colorado, had been charged by misdemeanor information after the incident that occurred on March 23, at the Canyonlands National Park.
The attorney’s office claims the pair “entered a fenced-off area of Canyonlands National Park where they then handled and stole numerous historic artifacts preserved in the Cave Springs Cowboy Camp.”
Dusty Spencer (left) and Roxanne McKnight.
CanyonlandsNPS/X
“This historic camp was protected by fencing and clear warnings prohibiting visitors from entering the area, which McKnight and Spencer disregarded,” authorities continued in the release.
“McKnight and Spencer are charged with theft of government property, less than one thousand dollars; possessing or distributing cultural or archaeological resources; and walking on or entering archaeological or cultural resource,” authorities stated.
They’re scheduled to appear before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin B. Pead at the United States District Court in Moab, on Nov. 8.
Historic artifacts at Cave Springs Cowboy Camp.
NPS/Neal Herbert
According to KSL.com, the government property that was allegedly stolen was worth less than $1,000. The outlet reported that the man and woman were captured on camera entering the fenced-off area.
A number of artifacts were allegedly taken, including antique nails.
In May, Canyonlands National Park released a statement following the incident.
“Law enforcement park rangers at Canyonlands National Park are seeking information from the public to help identify suspects involved in an archeological theft incident at Cave Spring Cowboy Camp in the Needles district of the park,” they wrote at the time.
They added, “In a video recorded at the archeological site, the individuals entered a signed-as-closed area, removed artifacts from a cabinet, and handled historic harnesses in a manner that had potential to damage them.”
