Suspect identified, but Mounties say case of 17 horses shot dead near Kamloops has gone cold

Wild horse case stalls

Photo: Castanet

FILE - A patch on the shoulder of an RCMP officer

An investigation into the shooting deaths of 17 feral horses on Crown land west of Kamloops has gone cold, despite a suspect being identified.

Mounties began investigating the group of dead horses in March of 2023 when they were discovered by people off-roading in an area north of Walhachin.

According to police, the dead horses were found scattered over a vast area and were likely killed weeks before they were discovered.

They were from a herd of wild horses known to frequent this area and of cultural significance to the Skeetchestn Indian Band. The RCMP’s forensic identification section, along with a veterinarian and a livestock investigator were involved in the animal cruelty probe.

RCMP Cpl. Cory Lepine, the sole livestock investigator in the province, told Castanet Kamloops he developed a suspect during the course of the investigation, but ultimately didn’t have enough evidence to pursue charges.

“I did get some tips on that one, but unfortunately nothing that would allow me to prove that my suspect was the guy. Of course, wasn't able to get a confession, so that's kind of where it ended,” he said.

Lepine said all his leads were exhausted and the probe fizzled out “for a couple of different reasons."

He said there were no further instances of wild horses being shot in the area.

New information is always welcome by Lepine.

“Lots of times we know who did it, but unless we have corroborating evidence ... that's kind of where it ends,” he said.

Anybody with information about the case is asked to call Lepine at 250-299-7462 or contact him by email at [email protected].