Two Colorado residents are facing federal charges after allegedly stealing archaeological artifacts at the Cave Spring Cowboy Camp in Canyonlands National Park.
Durango, Colorado residents Dusty Spencer, 43, and Roxanne McKnight, 39, were charged on Tuesday with theft of government property, less than one thousand dollars; possessing or distributing cultural or archaeological resources; and walking on or entering archaeological or cultural resource.
The incident was caught on camera back in May but it took several months to identify the suspects after Canyonlands posted their pictures and asked the public to help with information for investigators. Cave Springs Cowboy Camp is a historic site showcasing the way cowboys in the area used to live from the late 1800s through 1975. It features original items left by the cowboys which are protected with clearly marked signs strictly prohibiting entering, touching, or climbing on the archeological site.
Spencer and McKnight are set to make their initial court appearance on November 8th at the United States District Court in Moab, Utah. We will be sure to update this story as more information becomes available.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Utah Press Release:
Two Colorado residents were charged by misdemeanor information today, alleging they trespassed, disrupted, and stole from the historic Cave Springs Cowboy Camp in Canyonlands National Park, located in the District of Utah.
According to court documents, on March 23, 2024, Roxanne McKnight, 39, and Dusty Spencer, 43, of Durango, Colorado, entered a fenced-off area of Canyonlands National Park where they then handled and stole numerous historic artifacts preserved in the Cave Springs Cowboy Camp. This historic camp was protected by fencing and clear warnings prohibiting visitors from entering the area, which McKnight and Spencer disregarded.
McKnight and Spencer are charged with theft of government property, less than one thousand dollars; possessing or distributing cultural or archaeological resources; and walking on or entering archaeological or cultural resource. McKnight and Spencer’s initial appearance for the misdemeanor information will be scheduled for a later date at the United States District Court in Moab.
United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the National Park Service (NPS).
Assistant United States Attorneys Luisa Gough and Tanner Zumwalt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
