Even more about the Wild Horse Shootings

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From: Kim (and Lee the 1100 lb fleabag) 
Email: kim@redhorsetech.com

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Article complement of Yahoo! News...
  

Man Charged in Nev. Horse Shootings

By SCOTT SONNER Associated Press Writer
 
RENO, Nev. (AP) - Party chatter
overheard by the granddaughter of
a sheriff's employee helped nab
two Marines and a third man now accused
of slaughtering 34 wild horses,
the sheriff says.

 Police arrested a Reno construction
 worker Tuesday and planned to charge
 two Marines in California, accusing
 them of killing the free-roaming
 mustangs with high-powered rifles.

``We had one lead that was a little
 better than the others that actually
 started with an employee of
 the sheriff's office's granddaughter
 who was at a party who heard a certain
 thing being said,'' Washoe County
 Sheriff Richard Kirkland said Tuesday.

 Anthony Merlino, 21, was held on 
 charges of grand larceny, grand theft
 and maiming, poisoning or 
 killing another person's animal.

 Arrest warrants on the same charges
 which carry combined maximum penalties
 of more than 10 years in prison - have
 been issued for the two Marines being
 held at bases in California.

 Lance Cpl. Scott Brendle, 22, was being 
 held at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and
 Lance Cpl. Darien Brock, 21, was being
 held at Twentynine Palms east of Los
 Angeles, Storey County District
 Attorney Janet Hess said Tuesday night.

``It's sad but true,'' said Major
 Lenny Ryan of Camp Pendleton.

 Both are members of the 1st Marine
 Division. Both were residents of the
 Reno area home on holiday leave when
 the horses were shot Dec. 27, Storey
 County Sheriff Pat Whitten said.

 Hess said it was not clear if some form
 of extradition would be necessary, but
 that prosecutors intended to return the
 soldiers to Nevada to face the charges.

 Law officers said they did not believe 
 military weapons were used in the 
 shooting.

 Detectives have been investigating the
 case since the mustangs were shot
 about 5 miles east of the 
 Reno-Sparks area.

 Some of the horses were maimed and
 at least one was blasted with a 
 chemical fire extinguisher.