Thread: CO: Ranch settles with kin of slain hunter

Ranch settles with kin of slain hunter
The deal ends a suit. The worker accused of the accidental slaying was caught in Mexico.

By Felisa Cardona
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 05/28/2008 11:07:38 PM MDT

Jeffrey Rando Garrett was turkey hunting in 2005 when he was shot.

The family of Jeffrey Rando Garrett, the Qwest executive killed while turkey hunting in Garfield County, has reached a settlement with the company that hired the man who accidentally shot him.

Garrett, 37, was found dead May 14, 2005, in the East Elk Creek area near New Castle.

Charlotte Garrett and her two children, Olivia and Adam Garrett, filed a federal wrongful-death lawsuit against Land West Ventures, a Georgia corporation doing business as Bear Wallow Ranch in Garfield County.

Bear Wallow had hired Oscar Hoyos DeLaCruz as a ranch hand and another employee, Juan Salido-Talavera, had provided him with the .22-caliber rifle that killed Jeffrey Garrett.

The lawsuit said that DeLaCruz fired blindly into the brush when he heard a turkey call and struck Garrett, who was dressed in camouflage.

DeLaCruz, an illegal immigrant, told Talavera that he shot someone, but the two left the scene without rendering aid and did not report that a person had been shot, the suit said.

The lawsuit also accused Land West Ventures and Salido-Talavera of helping DeLaCruz catch a flight back to Mexico and conceal the facts of the shooting from law enforcement.

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. U.S. District Court records show a request to have Judge Richard P. Matsch dismiss the case was filed by Land West Ventures on Wednesday.

Charlotte Garrett did not return a call seeking comment and neither did her attorneys or lawyers for Land West Ventures.

In 2006, Mexican authorities arrested and charged DeLaCruz with "imprudent homicide," which is similar to a manslaughter charge in the United States.

Information about the disposition of the case in Mexico was unavailable late Wednesday because the attorney monitoring the case on behalf of the Colorado attorney general's office could not be reached.

Felisa Cardona: 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com

http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_9408945

DeLaCruz, an illegal immigrant, told Talavera that he shot someone, but the two left the scene without rendering aid and did not report that a person had been shot, the suit said.

The lawsuit also accused Land West Ventures and Salido-Talavera of helping DeLaCruz catch a flight back to Mexico and conceal the facts of the shooting from law enforcement.

Wowza . . . What the hell is going on in this country? Why have we not heard a word (until NOW) about this story? The fact that this kind of garbage is happening in cities and towns all over America daily and being kept as local news is beyond outrageous. Every amnesty creep in corporate America and our government should be sued into oblivious poverty and jailed for a decade as accessories to this mess.

I will refrain from further comment because what I'm thinking and the rage that I am feeling after reading this article is better left unsaid.

our country is out of control . our Government is even worst

Originally Posted by tencz57

our country is out of control . our Government is even worst

It is we the people that will have to turn this insanity around!!!!

Originally Posted by WhatMattersMost

DeLaCruz, an illegal immigrant, told Talavera that he shot someone, but the two left the scene without rendering aid and did not report that a person had been shot, the suit said.

The lawsuit also accused Land West Ventures and Salido-Talavera of helping DeLaCruz catch a flight back to Mexico and conceal the facts of the shooting from law enforcement.

Wowza . . . What the hell is going on in this country? Why have we not heard a word (until NOW) about this story? The fact that this kind of garbage is happening in cities and towns all over America daily and being kept as local news is beyond outrageous. Every amnesty creep in corporate America and our government should be sued into oblivious poverty and jailed for a decade as accessories to this mess.

I will refrain from further comment because what I'm thinking and the rage that I am feeling after reading this article is better left unsaid.

Great point! You rarely hear a peep from the MSM on these stories. It's no wonder the average American citizen has no clue as to how serious the issue of illegal immigration is in this country. The majority of MSM outlets will not even say the word "illegal," much less cover a story related to this invasion out of fear of the potential backlash they may encounter from the ethno-centric, pro-illegal invader groups , thus damaging their ratings.

Disgusting!