OLYMPIA – WA – A judge sentenced a Grays Harbor County resident for the spree-killing of at least five cow elk, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced Friday.
Richard Loren Pratt, 45, of Cosmopolis, received a mental health sentencing alternative, with community custody for 36 months and a $10,000 wildlife penalty fine. Pratt plead guilty to unlawful hunting of big game – first degree (class C felony), unlawful possession of a firearm – first degree (class B felony), and wastage , WAof wildlife (gross misdemeanor).
If Pratt violates his mental health sentencing alternative, he could face up to 116 months in prison based on his charges.
In January 2023, WDFW Police received a report from a private timber company employee who observed multiple dead elk on a hillside off the Ray Anderson A-Line south of Cosmopolis. WDFW Officers responded to the scene and immediately began investigating the suspicious circumstances. Necropsies revealed the suspect used a high-powered rifle. The elk were taken within GMU 658, which was closed for harvest at the time. WDFW Officers observed no clear attempt to harvest the wildlife, which were left to waste at the scene.
WDFW Police collected evidence, working with witnesses and the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office on the case. WDFW Police also asked the public for assistance in identifying an individual responsible for the crime.
Ten months after the initial crime, WDFW Officer McOmber encountered Pratt near the crime scene. Pratt had cut open a gate to enter the area and was found to be in possession of two firearms. Pratt, a convicted felon, may not legally possess firearms. WDFW Police later identified one of the firearms to be the rifle Pratt used in the poaching case. While interviewing Pratt at the scene, Officer McOmber established Pratt as the suspect from the earlier poaching case. Further investigation and subsequent interviews confirmed Pratt was the person responsible for the spree killings.
“We solved this case thanks to the tenacity of Officer McOmber and the contact he made with Pratt,” said WDFW Police Captain Dan Chadwick. “This is just another example of our officers’ commitment to thorough investigations. In this case the officer spent months working the investigation, putting all the pieces together, which ultimately concluded in a confession.”
An individual is guilty of unlawful hunting of big game – first degree when “The person hunts for, takes, or possesses three or more big game animals within the same course of events,” defined as a big game “spree killing”. Once convicted, the charge also carries suspension of license privileges and a criminal wildlife penalty imposed with fines of $2,000 for each elk taken. Pratt will receive a ten-year suspension of his hunting privileges.
“We are disappointed the defendant will not be serving any prison time,” Chadwick said, “The Grays Harbor Prosecutor worked hard for the plea agreement which included prison time, we thank them for working diligently on this case.”
WDFW Police works to protect the public’s safety and to preserve, protect and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.
