OSP charges 2 senior citizens for illegal digging
By Terry Murry on Tuesday, October 22nd, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
CONDON – The Oregon State Police responded to a report of illegal digging at an archaeological site at approximately 12:36 p.m. Sunday. The trooper responded to the scene on Highway 19 near Wehrli Canyon.
The caller said the suspects were using sift boxes at the site. A sift box is a tool used to sift through materials to recover artifacts. While no artifacts were found at the location, the trooper found the ground below the pictographs on a cliff wall had been dug down. In addition, the two men admitted to digging there.
The sifting boxes were seized. Robert Brehaut, 90, of Condon and William Charles McClure, 84, of Baker City were cited. The landowner chose not to pursue trespassing charges. They face charges of injuring, destroying, or altering an archaeological site, which is a Class B misdemeanor.
Brehaut and McCall have been given court dates of Dec. 13.
