DUBOIS – Family and friends of shooting victims asked Sandy Township Supervisors and the Pennsylvania Game Commission to refer the case to the Pennsylvania State Police.
Orlando W. Prosper jr. and his 9-year-old son, Garrett, were injured on May 1 while hunting.
Nearly six months later Orlando, family, friends and community members attended Monday night’s Sandy Township Supervisors meeting, unhappy with the lack of resolution in the case.
“We’re not trying to be disrespectful. We just want things to move along,” said Darlene Winkler.
Winkler asked the supervisors and Sandy Township Police Chief Don Routch for information on how the case was going; how much time was put towards the case, including overtime, and how many interviews were done. The concern of those present was that the local police have much on their plates already and the case could progress faster with the state police’s manpower and resources.
Routch was unable to answer the questions do to the case being still open and that he didn’t know off hand how many interviews were done by the other members of the Sandy Township Police Department.
Currently the case is under the investigative authority of Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Office David Stewart as the injuries stemmed from a hunting related incident. It would be up to Stewart to turn over the case to the state police.
“This isn’t [Sandy Township Police’s] investigation. They don’t need to be involved. They have gone above and beyond the call of duty,” said Steward, defending the work of township police.
Stewart also said that the state police had been assisting in the investigation.