Texas game wardens from Anderson, Henderson, and Smith counties responded to an anonymous tip about alligator poaching on the Neches River. Upon investigation, they discovered a 4.5-foot alligator shot with a compound bow behind the Lake Palestine Spillway.
The suspect, after injuring the alligator, jumped into the river to retrieve it. Two others joined in, dispatching the animal with a knife. The trio then took photos and a video, intending to share it on social media. While the accomplices left the scene with the alligator, the shooter remained behind.
Henderson and Smith County game wardens found the shooter, who initially attempted to escape by swimming to the other side of the river but eventually returned. After questioning the suspect, wardens gathered enough evidence to file charges related to hunting alligator during a closed season and hunting without a license.
Efforts to locate the alligator and the other suspects were initially unsuccessful. However, the shooter provided a video to the Anderson County Game Warden, aiding identification. Multiple cases, including hunting offenses, were filed as a result of the investigation. The cases are currently pending, along with civil restitution proceedings.
