Two individuals from Colorado are facing legal trouble after allegedly violating federal regulations and damaging the delicate historical landscape at Canyonlands National Park. According to the U.S. Department of Justice and was released by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Utah.
Roxanne McKnight, 39, and Dusty Spencer, 43, both from Durango, allegedly crossed the marked boundaries protecting the Cave Springs Cowboy Camp on March 23, they proceeded to not only trespass but also remove historical artifacts tucked within the site's confines which now sees them staring down the possibility of federal charges.
As per the allegations, McKnight and Spencer blatantly ignored the fencing and signage meant to safeguard the camp's precious remnants from the past, orchestrating a disturbance that has led to charges including theft of government property, the illegal possession or distribution of cultural or archaeological resources, and the unauthorized entry onto archaeological or cultural resource grounds.
The duo is set to appear before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin B. Pead in Moab for their misdemeanor information on November 8, it's an initial step in a legal process that could well spell a severe reprimand for actions that seemingly prioritized personal gain over cultural preservation and civic responsibility.
United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins has gone public with the case details, underscoring the legal boundaries overstepped by McKnight and Spencer, while the National Park Service (NPS) conducts the investigation implications go beyond the act; this is a test of the justice system's ability to protect remnants of shared history from individual recklessness.
Luisa Gough and Tanner Zumwalt from the U.S. Attorney’s Office are leading the prosecution, committed to ensuring that the story of the artifacts, silent witnesses to an earlier era does not end as a mere footnote in a criminal case filed against those accused of treating them as commodities rather than the cultural touchstones they are.
