Jul 12, 2023 3 min read

Two months after a bald eagle was shot and killed in Mt. Pleasant Township, state and federal investigators are getting closer to deciding whether to charge a suspect in connection with the bird’s death.

Seth Mesoras, a spokesman for the state Game Commission’s Southwest Region, said Tuesday that they are hoping to wrap up the investigation into the May 12 killing of the bald eagle by the end of the month, but he declined to identify the suspect or say whether that person could face state or federal charges.

“The case was called into us and our guys responded and worked on some stuff with (Mt. Pleasant Township) police,” Mesoras said. “We got a suspect and are still actively finishing up this investigation.”

Mt. Pleasant Township police initiated the investigation after a person witnessed the shooting, and the eagle was later found dead in a field near Waterdam Road. The police department and Game Commission both posted photographs of a vehicle that was near the scene at the time of the shooting, and a suspect turned himself into authorities three days later. The local police department turned the investigation over to the Game Commission, which posted on its official Facebook page May 15 that the suspect had “admitted to all aspects of the crime.”

However, no state or federal charges have been filed as of Tuesday, prompting questions from people in the community wondering where the investigation stood. Mt. Pleasant police Chief Matthew Tharp issued a lengthy statement Monday afternoon asking for patience while also saying he is confident that the investigation will be concluded soon.

“We can assure you that all involved law enforcement is committed to ensuring that appropriate charges are brought and pursued, and appropriate penalties imposed upon conviction, for any violations under state and federal law arising out of this tragic incident,” Tharp wrote on the police department’s Facebook page.

Tharp added that while he realizes this is an “emotionally charged, understandably upsetting” situation, he asked residents not to spread rumors or make threatening statements on social media against the suspect, who has not been publicly identified.

“We need to allow the legal process to proceed to provide any suspect charged with all afforded rights granted under our Constitution, and allow that patriotic act, itself, to demonstrate to the accused and everyone who bears witness to it what our Nation’s most revered bald eagle really symbolizes and stands for,” Tharp said.

Mesoras said the Game Commission is working alongside the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in a “dual, joint investigation,” but he declined to say which agency is taking the lead. He added that they’re “finishing up the last part of it” and should be able to release more information in early August. He did not explain why the investigation has taken so long or why no charges have been filed despite the suspect reportedly turning himself into authorities nearly two months ago.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Tuesday she could not comment because the investigation is ongoing.

While bald eagles were removed from the federal Endangered Species Act in 2007, they are still protected through three other federal acts, which include the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Lacey Act, according to both the state Game Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.