http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/enforce/ogt/lake_buchanan.phtml

$10,000 CASH REWARD
ONE DEAD, TWO LEFT TO DIE!
Late Friday evening, May 03, 2002, three Lampasas teenagers loaded up the family boat for a fishing trip to Lake Buchanan on the Colorado River in the Texas Hill Country. The teenagers loved to fish and had taken the boat to the lake on numerous occasions.


They launched their aluminum Bass Tracker boat at the Burnet County Park at the north end of Buchanan Dam around dark and headed to their favorite spot near the powerhouse of the dam. At about 11:30 p.m., one of the boys called his folks to say that they would be coming home in 30 minutes or so. Around midnight, they put all their fishing tackle in the storage compartments and secured all the other equipment for the short trip back to the boat launch. After donning their life jackets, they took their respective seats and pushed away from the dam.

Around 8:00 a.m. on May 04, 2002, Kelly, the 19-year-old female, was found by two fishermen, semi-conscious, drifting in the badly damaged Bass Tracker boat (see boat photo). She was still wearing her life jacket. The fishermen towed the boat to shore where Llano County EMS treated her and then transported her to the Llano Hospital.

Around 9:15 a.m., two other fishermen found Jim, the 17-year-old boat operator, drifting semi-conscious out in the lake. His life jacket managed to keep him afloat until he was rescued. He was taken to shore, where he was treated by Burnet County EMS and then transferred by ambulance to the Burnet Hospital.


Justin Roberts, the third young fisherman, an 18-year-old male, was located by another fishing boat at about 10:35 a.m. His body was recovered by game wardens and transported to shore. Justin loved to hunt and fish so much that he was going to attend Texas A&M University with hopes of becoming a Texas Game Warden. Roberts was scheduled to graduate from Lampasas High School in late May

The 17-foot Bass Tracker boat occupied by the three teenagers was hit almost head-on and was run completely over by an unidentified fiberglass sport or runabout type boat. The fiberglass boat was medium to dark blue, which was painted over bronze or copper metal flake (see photos of fiberglass samples). Damage to the blue painted fiberglass boat will most likely be to the bottom and keel area.

The operator of the fiberglass boat and passengers, if any, did not attempt to offer any type of aid or assistance to the three teenagers. They left one dead and two to die on Lake Buchanan that night.

If you have any information regarding this fiberglass boat or it's operator or passengers, call CRIME STOPPERS @ 915-388-4224 or 512-756-8477 or call TEXAS WILDLIFE CRIME-STOPPERS PROGRAM @ 1-800-792-GAME(4263).

HOPE THEY CATCH THE SOB

BASSIN

bump. this needs to stay up at the top for a while. These criminals need to be caught.

somebody knows, somebody has to know, that is the heck of it.

I wish there were some way to get more word out. I am sure that every boat dealer in a few hundred miles of the area has been notified.

Are there any TFFers in the Lampasas area or thereabouts who have more input on what has been going on in the area as far as looking for this perp?

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RRhyne56, Flyfishing Warden
northtexasonthefly@attbi.com
http://www.robinscustomfliesandleaders.com

[This message has been edited by rrhyne56 (edited 02-28-2003).]

Sweet Mother of Mercy!!! That boat took a hell of a shot. I hope they fry the SOB's that did this.

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Charlie

Thanks for posting that Ranger R.

This is very troubling. I will pray for the victims and for the ones who hit that boat. They will be found no doubt about it. Someone will say something about it and they will get caught. I pray that guilt sets in everytime those idiots go fishing in their boat.

It makes me sick that people do stuff like this.

You know the boat that hit them HAS to have some damage-hopefully the powers that be are checking boat repair shops for leads. I'm sure they are.

Geezzz....I'm with all of you. I hope that they find these lousy souls that did this. As well as prosicute them to fullest extent of the law. That is just down right cowerdness, and pittiful. That someone could do something like that and turn around and render some sort of aid. These aren't the kinds of people that we need on the water. We have enough accidents on the water as is, without the need for something like this.

I've not been this mad from just reading something in a long time. I'll keep my witts(sp) about me and keep what I'd like to see done to these people to myself.

Mugz

This happened 10 months ago, does anyone know if the guilty party has been caught?

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jerrybign
Trust in His providence, be quiet, and go a-angling.....Izaak Walton

As for as I know, no one has been caught yet. If they had been, then TPWD would not post it on their website. THANK YOU to the TFF website administrator for posting this important issue under the left column, named "sponsors".

As far as the $10,000 reward no way would I take that if I was able to help these people get this issue solved.

It would be worth it to see those idiots get what they deserve.

Peace.

I heard on the news yesterday that the reward fund has grown to $19,000.

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Ed Utley

Media Contacts:
Business Hours (512) 389-8046
E-mail news@tpwd.state.tx.us
Public Information: (800) 792-1112

March 10, 2003

Hit-and-Run Boating Accident Still Unsolved; You Can Help
AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game wardens have put together a poster with information and evidence they have about a 2002 hit-and-run boating accident that killed one teenager and left two others injured. There is about $15,000 in reward money being offered from different sources and three central Texas game wardens are continuing their full-time investigation of the accident, including investigating hundreds of tips from the public and checking various leads.

And you can help, whether it's putting up the new poster or reporting anything you've seen or anyone you know who may be involved. You can remain anonymous and receive cash.

At about midnight May 3, 2002, the bass boat with the three Lampasas teens was struck on Lake Buchanan by what has been described as a painted blue, fiberglass boat. It ran into them almost head-on and then went airborne over the top of their fishing boat, according to Keith Gerth, one of the game wardens working on the case.

Justin Roberts, 18, was ejected from the boat and killed; Kelly Jean Corbin, 19, was knocked unconscious but was found in the boat; and the boat operator, Jim Daniels, 17, was ejected and found the next morning, floating in the lake. All three were wearing their lifejackets and their boat lights were on at the time of the wreck, Gerth said.

"You hear about stuff like this on the news but don't ever think it can happen to you," Jim Daniels said after being found. "It's hard to understand how someone could do something like this."

The suspect boat is believed to have been traveling at a relatively fast speed and law enforcement has obtained some information from visitors at Burnet County Park who heard the wreck.

The following rewards are available:

$8,122, First Texas Bank in Lampasas, (call (512) 556-3691 to contribute funds)
As much as $5,000, Burnet County Crime Stoppers, (512) 756-8477 locally or toll free (866) 756-8477
$1,000, Llano County Crime Stoppers (915) 388-4224
$1,000, Capital Area Crime Stoppers, (Austin), (512) 472-8477
$4,000, Lower Colorado River Authority, (512) 473-3200 (through Crime Stoppers)
To view the poster, visit the Web (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/). It's on the right side of the Web page. For copies of the poster to put up in your area, call Eckert at (915) 247-4847. While Operation Game Thief, Texas' Wildlife Crime Stoppers program is statutorily unable to offer a reward in this case, you may also report information to the investigating game wardens by calling (800) 792-GAME