According to Special agents with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Law Enforcement in Anchorage, Waterbury shot and killed a mature bald eagle in April of 1994. he shooting occurred as Waterbury was target practicing with a .22 caliber rifle near the Seldovia, Alaska landfill.
The criminal investigation was conducted by Special Agents from The United States Fish and Wildlife Service and officers from the Seldovia, Alaska Police Department.
Information concerning the eagle shooting had been received, anonymously, by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel in Homer, Alaska and was then passed on to the Division of Law Enforcement. Using the information, the Seldovia police were able to search and find the dead bald eagle at the land fill. The recovered carcass was sent to the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Oregon for necropsy. Laboratory analysis revealed that the eagle had been shot four times with a .2 caliber bullets and laboratory scientists were able to match the rifle seized from Waterbury to bullets recovered from the dead bald eagle.
The maximum penalties which could have been imposed upon a conviction under the Eagle Protection Act was $100,000.00 fine and not more than one year imprisonment for a first offense. Persons giving information which leads to a conviction are eligible to receive one-half the fine, up to $2,500.00, as a reward.
FWS
