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| -Lurid Crime Tales- |
| AZ Rancher Who Aided Illegals Found Murdered |
| 2010-03-29 |
| A longtime rancher was killed on his Douglas-area property over the weekend, and neighbors worried that his homicide was connected to increasing border-related crime in the area. The Cochise County Sheriff's Office offered little information into the late-Saturday shooting death of 58-year-old Robert Krentz, whose family began the Krentz Ranch more than 100 years ago. Krentz's body was found on his land, which is about 35 miles northeast of Douglas, just before midnight Saturday, said Carol Capas, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office, aided by the U.S. Border Patrol, had no suspects Sunday and continued to follow leads, Capas said. She declined to comment on reports from neighbors and border activists that Krentz's death was related to smuggling in the area. Area residents said Krentz had no enemies, and they could think of no motive for his death other than the possibility it was related to what they called the growing level of crime in the area related to illegal immigrants and drug smugglers. Tom Tancredo, a former U.S. representative from Colorado, was visiting ranchers near Douglas to discuss border issues when he heard of Krentz's death. Tancredo said he and Krentz were friends and that he was "a mild-mannered guy" who was known for providing illegal immigrants with food and water. Tancredo and Chris Simcox, co-founder of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, said Krentz phoned a family member Saturday afternoon to say he was out near his watering hole, providing one or more illegal immigrants with aid. That's the last his family heard from him, Simcox and Tancredo said. "He looked the other way so often," Tancredo said. "It's so ironic that he, of all people, got murdered." If Krentz's killing was caused by an illegal immigrant or a drug smuggler, U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Omar Candelaria said, it would be a first for the area, to his recollection. "We haven't seen any instances of illegal immigrants or drug smugglers attacking U.S. citizens," Candelaria said. Others who live nearby were unwilling to disclose their names when they spoke about the homicide Sunday because, they said, they were afraid of possible repercussions. A person at the Krentz home also declined to comment. In a 1999 PBS interview, Robert Krentz and his wife, Susan, said illegal immigrants once stole property from their ranch, but that incident didn't stop him from aiding other trespassers. "You know, we've personally been broke in once. And they took about $700 worth of stuff. And you know, if they come in and ask for water, I'll still give them water. I, you know, that's just my nature," Krentz was quoted as saying in written transcripts of the interview. The longtime rancher's homicide already has caught U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' attention. Sometime this week, the Arizona Democrat will travel to Douglas for a briefing on the homicide, said Giffords' spokesman, C.J. Karamargin. "Rob Krentz was a pillar of the Cochise County ranching community," Giffords said in a press release. "He will be greatly missed." The Krentz family's cattle ranch was inducted into the Arizona Farming and Ranching Hall of Fame in 2008. The family started the ranch in 1907. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose |
| #14 Divide the Mexican border into 5 sections. Give each section to a mexican General to protect,ie. no border crossings illegally. Put a few million bucks in each Generals account in this country. More for the popular crossing areas, less for others. Subtract from each account about 50.000 bucks for each illegal caught in each area. Harsh but effective. |
| Posted by: notascrename 2010-03-29 21:29 |
| #13 Actually, I am of mixed minds about this. When Vincente Fox had his Plan Puebla Panama idea, they rousted a lot of southern Mexicans off their land, and sent them north. Many of them had never seen a desert, and tried to cross the Sonora in summer, which is madness. Lots of deaths. So giving them water before calling the BP was charitable, so they could pick up the living, instead of the dead. However, the POS drug smugglers are a ruthless bunch of bastards who deserve to die in the desert. The Indians down there mount regular armed patrols to stop smugglers, and nobody is going to mind much if they kill more than a few. Because the smugglers wouldn't hesitate to kill them and their families, either. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2010-03-29 17:07 |
| #12 "We haven't seen any instances of illegal immigrants or drug smugglers attacking U.S. citizens," That's because until now they figured they needed us. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-03-29 16:49 |
| #11 "We haven't seen any instances of illegal immigrants or drug smugglers attacking U.S. citizens," Candelaria said. Huh? We've fricking seen the Mexican "army" escort smugglers, and attack US citizens in the process. |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2010-03-29 16:47 |
| #10 "We haven't seen any instances of illegal immigrants or drug smugglers attacking U.S. citizens," You know even in the desert you can get satellite TV, access to the History Channel and their series Gangland to know otherwise. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-03-29 16:42 |
| #9 More like lying down with Dogs... and not waking up.... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2010-03-29 14:43 |
| #8 Turning a blind eye to illegals and winds up dead. Metaphor alert for Uncle Sam! |
| Posted by: regular joe 2010-03-29 14:20 |
| #7 So Border Guards don't count as citizens? |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2010-03-29 13:56 |
| #6 "We haven't seen any instances of illegal immigrants or drug smugglers attacking U.S. citizens," YET. No? But isn't that what happened here? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-03-29 12:54 |
| #5 Cape St. Luke, California, anyone? Ummm, no thanks. We have enough Mexican citizens registered as Quislingcrats on our voter rolls. |
| Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) 2010-03-29 12:49 |
| #4 Actually, think more locally - Arizona deserves the seaport she's always needed. |
| Posted by: Halliburton - Mysterious Conspiracy Division 2010-03-29 12:32 |
| #3 This didn't end well for Mexico the last go around. Cape St. Luke, California, anyone? |
| Posted by: Halliburton - Mysterious Conspiracy Division 2010-03-29 12:31 |
| #2 Area residents said Krentz had no enemies That statement is nonsensical with respect to anyone living on the southern border with Mexico. The narcotraficantes are the enemies of everyone else there. they could think of no motive for his death other than the possibility it was related to what they called the growing level of crime in the area related to illegal immigrants and drug smugglers. Well, duh. "We haven't seen any instances of illegal immigrants or drug smugglers attacking U.S. citizens," YET. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2010-03-29 12:19 |
| #1 "He looked the other way so often," Tancredo said. "It's so ironic that he, of all people, got murdered." Looking the 'other way' in all crime generally makes room for the lawless environment to grow and sustain itself rather the it going away as amply demonstrated in countless neighborhoods across the country. It branches out to touch everyone in the end in various and numerous other forms. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-03-29 11:11 |