Green River man pleads guilty to deer shootings in local neighborhood

GREEN RIVER— A years-long case of deer being shot and left to die in a Green River neighborhood has been resolved.

On April 9, Timothy Crooks was sentenced in the Sweetwater County Circuit Court to 15 days in jail for five counts of wanton destruction of a big game animal, to be served concurrently, with credit for three days served after his arrest in October 2023.

In addition to jail time, Crooks’ hunting privileges were revoked for ten years.

Crooks also forfeited the .22 Marlin rifle with scope and a homemade suppressor.

Over five years, at least five deer were shot and killed in the area of Arkansas Drive.

During their investigation, Game Wardens and the Green River Police Department responded to numerous calls about dead or injured deer and recovered bullets from three of the deer. The case was recently settled thanks to cooperation from numerous reporting parties and a collaborative investigation between state and local officials.

In October 2023, Crooks was charged with five counts of wanton destruction of a big game animal and four counts of using a suppressor to take a big game animal.

On Feb. 27, 2024, Crooks entered a change of plea, pleading guilty to five counts of wanton destruction of a big game animal.

This story was published on May 25, 2024.