Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
A legal case has swirled around this 2019 John Deere skid steer that went missing and was painted black.
The search for justice is often difficult, but when a legal technicality occurs, the case doesn't always go the way some people think it should.
This story begins during a time when Cory Shiflett, a superintendent at Paul Reed Construction, and company workers and equipment were working on the Heartland Express south of Alliance in Morrill County.
At the Heartland worksite, a yellow 2019 John Deere 325G skid steer owned by Paul Reed Construction disappeared. When new, the skid steer was worth $90,000, but as used equipment, it still had a value of approximately $30,000.
Shiflett thought the crime would be solved when the GPS on the skid steer dinged in Torrington, Wyo. Shiflett contacted the sheriff in Goshen County, but the sheriff told Shiflett that there wasn't enough proof for an arrest. Shortly thereafter, the GPS unit was dismantled, and the piece of equipment went dormant, Shiflett said.
The hunt for the skid steer was renewed when Shiflett received a tip from someone in Kimball; the tipster said the skid steer was at a residence just about a mile north of Kimball.
Kimball County Sheriff Dave Hottell was contacted about the location of the skid steer, which at that point had been spray painted black and had no markings of brand name. The VIN number plate also was removed.
The skid steer was confiscated by law enforcement and taken to Murphy Tractor in Scottsbluff, where it was hooked up to their computer. It was verified that the skid steer was stolen from Paul Reed Construction.
The incident report states, "Murphy's provided a printout of information on the machine. It showed that the unit was purchased by Paul Reed Construction."
The information provided the engine serial number, and that serial number confirmed the engine of the unit seized.
A bill of sale was provided from the suspect when it was confiscated although there was no serial number listed and it was purchased as a 2015 model. John Deere did not produce that model in 2015. A suspect was arrested, but when the suspect was arraigned, he was released because he said he didn't steal it. He said he purchased it.
According to the dismissal, he said he didn't steal it and the special prosecutor couldn't prove he stole it. The individual arrested noted that he had purchased the skid steer in Arizona for $1,500.
According to Shiflett, the skid steer went to the insurance company, but he said it was "trash, junk."
All charges were dropped.
