A grand jury has determined that two men who claimed to have suffered gunshot wounds at the hands of illegal immigrants during a hunting trip on a south Texas ranch in January actually injured each other accidentally and fabricated their story after the fact.
Walker Daughtery and Michael Bryant could each face up to five years in prison on third-degree felony charges, the Independent newspaper reported Tuesday. Their injuries were sustained during a shootout that occurred when they escorted client Edwin Roberts on a hunting trip.
Investigators said Mr. Daughtery suspected that illegal immigrants were inside a recreational vehicle attempting to kidnap Mr. Roberts and his wife, but tried to enter the vehicle without announcing his presence, causing Mr. Roberts to shoot at the door, the Independent reported.
Mr. Daughtery retreated to his cabin to grab his gun and retrieve Mr. Bryant, and the two then begin firing at the RV.
Authorities said Mr. Daughtery shot Mr. Roberts, his client, in the arm and Mr. Bryant shot Mr. Daughtery, his colleague, in the chest, the Independent reported.
The newspaper noted that the local sheriff had been skeptical from the beginning about how the injuries were sustained, even as he admitted the area was known to be a hot spot for illegal border crossings.
Even so, the initial claims of illegal immigrant violence seem to have benefited Mr. Daughtery financially. He was the subject of a crowdfunding page that generated $26,000 in donations for his medical care, according to page at GoFundMe.com that says the campaign is “complete and no longer active.”
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