Police: AZ Escaped Con Planned ‘Suicide by Bear’
- Posted on January 29, 2011 at 7:49am by
Meredith Jessup
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FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP/The Blaze) — A convicted killer who escaped from an Arizona prison says his plan was to overdose on heroin at Yellowstone National Park and let bears eat him. Tracy Province told a sheriff’s detective about his plan after he was captured in August and returned to Arizona.
According to a Mohave County sheriff’s report, Province planned to shoot a gram of heroin and become bear food. He says he didn’t follow through because of divine intervention and because Yellowstone was too cold.
Province told authorities he then tried to hitchhike to Indiana to see his family. He was captured Aug. 9 in Wyoming, 10 days after he and two others escaped from a minimum-security prison near Kingman, Ariz.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal first reported the interview Thursday.
According to police authorities, Province asked fellow convict John McCluskey and their alleged accomplice, Casslyn Mae Welch, to drive him to Yellowstone in Wyoming from New Mexico where the trio faces capital murder and carjacking charges.
Back in Arizona, Province has pleaded guilty to charges of escape, kidnapping, aggravated assault and armed robbery and will be sentenced Friday before being transported to face charges in New Mexico.
Province returned to police custody on Aug. 9 in Meeteetse, Wyo., just steps from a church where he sat in the pews and sang “Your Grace is Enough.” A woman from the church’s congregation recognized his photograph during a television report.
Al Nash, a spokesman at Yellowstone National Park, said it‘s certainly possible that Province’s plan to let bears eat him would work, but it struck him as improbable.
“We have a fair number of bears in the ecosystem,” Nash said. “They eat about anything. A bear would rather get an easy meal than a difficult meal, but human bear encounters are very infrequent.”
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Comments (43)
Showtime
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 6:06pmRemember Casslyn Mae Welch? She had dark brown hair and was McClusky’s first cousin and girlfriend (eewwwww!). She was about UGLY! (She must have had a car, because a fishing boat would have done them no good.) Province sounds like a real nut job!
Report Post »Patsplace
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 5:12pmOh my God, I’m overdosed, ca,’t move, can’t speak and here comes a hungry looking bear.
Report Post »Patsplace
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 5:11pmYeah but, the first meal was free and after that…..Bear hookers, car jacking, B&E’s….strung out bears can be a dangerous thing.
Report Post »missbosslady
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 5:03pmWhy is a convicted murderer in a minimum security facility? Incredible!
Report Post »goatkid
Posted on January 30, 2011 at 8:07pm@missbosslady
Report Post »that is what I was going to ask. it’s a good question. But since he got out they should have let them eat him if that’s what he wanted. Would have saved us a lot of money. But then that would make too much sense
OnfireNY
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 4:37pmYou know death by bear is not a bad thing in some circles.
Report Post »LLightnin
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 3:26pmWe were in Yellowstone at the time. Read the story, it was August 9th, the bears were awake, we saw them! Did get down to 37f at night, was cold!
Report Post »Old Paint
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 1:14pmAnd then there‘s my grandmother’s favorite brother Blaine, who used to get drunk, get on his cow pony, lasso grizzlies and leave the tied to trees. When you’d visit him he would entertain you by taking you to the city dump at midnight to watch the grizzlies. You gotta love Wyoming! You gotta love bears- they’re entertaining, they clean up messes!
Report Post »drattastic
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 12:50pmToo bad his scheme didn’t work
Report Post »Chicago Ray
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 12:38pmWhy not let him take a second chance at it when the weather gets better?
I‘ll pay for the ’medication’ even.
Report Post »B-Neil
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 11:43amA Bear minumin of five years should be tacked on to his sentence for attempted poisoning of a bear. He should then have to spend the anniversary date of that attempt in the middle of the exersize yard bear, screeming his apology to the Bear. Folks! thats the Bear truth of the matter, dag nabit….Carry on McDuff
Report Post »greatfuled
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 11:40amI thought bears HIBERNATE IN WINTER????????
Report Post »azmomof6
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 1:48pmBeing from Arizona, he might not have known what winter is. It’s about 80 degrees outside right now. Of coarse, most Arizonans do understand winter and that’s why we live here. It must have just been a glitch in his criminal masterminded plan.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 6:08pmAugust 9 was his capture date.
Report Post »That’s not what we call winter, even over here in North Carolina and Georgia.
capecodsully
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 11:22amWhat if your bear wasn’t that hungry and only ate your arms and legs off? Now that would bite.
Report Post »SlimnRanger
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 2:06pmWorse yet what if it was a horny bear
Report Post »mcpbob
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 10:19amif he wanted to die… we should be able to help him out
Report Post »lildeb56
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:19amBears everywhere are pissed! I’m sure they were looking forward to the party!
Report Post »9thCommandment
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:16amMy guess 5yr sentence, 3 on parole, released early after 9 months, back on the streets in a neighborhood near you collecting SSI & still looking for that next hit. Priceless.
Report Post »pavnvet
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:11amHow come the PETA folks aren’t filing a Friend of the Court brief seeking an attempted cruelty to animals charge?
Report Post »karma70
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:51amI guess he figured he was better served warm.
Report Post »Pestie67
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:47amHe would have been waiting a while and it would have taken a lot of heroin. Bears are typically hibernating this time of the year.
Report Post »gr8photoman
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:41amYou know I take a Libertarian view on this kinda thing…
Report Post »The man is a convicted killer and staying in prison for life the man is a burden to tax payers.
If his life’s ambition now is to be a bear turd I say let the man live up to his full potential.
Tomfang
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:34amWhere is that heroin? I’ll shoot him up!
Report Post »Toodumtu
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:05amWhy not take him out in the woods,chain him to a tree with ancle bracelett and just let the bears eat him. That would fulfill his wish and save the taxpayers a bundle. Also look at the points we’d make with PETA.
Report Post »Carl1
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:22amI with ya… But then tree huggers would be all over us..
Report Post »TimCotter
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:00amI guess he’ll have to just grin and bear it now.
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:14amGood laugh, thanks!
Report Post »NancyBee
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:20amNow that is funny!
Report Post »Thighmaster
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 7:55amThat’s what we need, bears on heroine with the taste of blood. hey hey hey boo boo
Report Post »gringo miles
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 7:54amthe sorry bastard should be on medication in a mental facility… permenently
Report Post »historyguy48
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:55amWhy. It would save the taxpayers, and the nearest zoo money. Let him make friends with a Polar bear. The will eat anything.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 7:54amA bear on heroin is a terrible thing.
Report Post »Cemoto78
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:01amAnother moron the taxpayers will be supporting for life. sad.
Report Post »historyguy48
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:04amA prime example of what a genius these people are. I am surprised Barry hasn’t tried to give them the vote, the mentality is about right. Oh, yes, I forgot, they have tried to do that.
Report Post »Devil Dog 7175
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 8:50amAnd the problem is…???
Report Post »RobertCA
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:08amI would say let the bear eat him , bear will be satisfied + we’ll save a lot of tax $$$$$$$$$$
Report Post »slimkendall
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 9:11amThis is disappointing. I was hoping when I opened this story I’d read about a
Report Post »convict who had a plan to go out in a fierce yet ultimately un-winnable fist fight
with a bear.
Now when he dies he’ll be worm food as opposed to bear food. ho hum.
Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 10:14amIf this moron and murderer was so anxious to go out in a spectacular method such as death by a grizzly bear – the phoenix zoo has a wonderfully large tiger availible…and yes I know someone would say that is cruelty for the cat and it’s digestive track.
Report Post »USAMama
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 10:28amYeah, I wonder if the bear would get high from eating the “tainted meat”? That is one Grizzly I wouldn’t want to cross!!
Report Post »APatriotFirst
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 10:45amWanted a bear to kill him but the cold got to him???
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