MOAB, Utah — Police in Utah say that two people from Colorado damaged a historic place in Canyonlands National Park in March 2024. They are now facing federal charges.
Both Roxanne McKnight, 39, and Dusty Spencer, 43, are from Durango, Colorado. They are accused of breaking into Canyonlands National Park’s Cave Springs Cowboy Camp and taking things.
The two are accused of stealing antique nails that were on display based on information found in misdemeanor information papers. Records also show that they are accused of “handling and manipulating antique horse tack and cabinetry.”
The National Park Service says that cowboys who moved to canyon country in the late 1800s lived in “isolated outdoor camps.” These camps were used until 1975 when the park stopped cattle farming.
The camp at Cave Spring was picked because there was a good water source close by. There is also evidence that Native American ancestors lived in the hills “6,000 to 700 years ago.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah said in a press statement on Nov. 4 that McKnight and Spencer ignored clear warnings not to enter the area and surrounding fencing that this historic camp was protected by.
The two are being charged with the following:
- Less than $1,000 worth of theft from the government
- Having cultural or archaeological goods or messing with them
- Getting on or into a historical or cultural site
Jones and Spencer are due in court on November 8. The case is being looked into by the National Park Service.
