Reward In Nevada Wild Horse Kill Case Increased To $25,000

NEVADA – The reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) guilty of shooting and mortally wounding five wild horses in eastern Nevada in late 2021 has been increased to $25,000, thanks to a $5,000 reward from Wild Horse Education.

The BLM’s initial $5,000 award was matched last September by another organization’s promise, and then matched again a month later by another organization.

“We hope that increasing the incentive will put the problem back into the public eye and lead to information that will help settle this troubling matter,” said Laura Leigh, president of Wild Horse Education.

The BLM is still investigating the incident that occurred in Jakes Valley, some 30 miles west of Ely, Nevada, in mid-November 2021.

“The BLM investigates and prosecutes wild horse killings as part of the agency’s enforcement of the Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971,” stated BLM Criminal Investigator Michael Mortensen. Our inquiry is looking for more information from the public in order to find more leads and, eventually, the person(s) responsible. Anyone with information concerning the event is invited to phone the BLM crime hotline.”

On November 16, 2021, the BLM Ely District, Bristlecone Field Office received a call from a member of the public who had spotted five terminally injured wild horses in Jakes Valley, about two miles south of U.S. Highway 50. The remains were discovered within 600 yards of one another. One of the deceased animals had an aborted fetus attached to it. One horse was still alive but had been severely injured and had to be euthanized humanely. A necropsy found that the animals were between the ages of 18 months and six years. The horses were slaughtered on or near the day they were reported.

Anyone with information on the incident should contact the BLM’s crime hotline at 1-775-861-6550.

Credits: KTNV