Three headless deer lead to dozens of charges in Pennsylvania

BEDFORD, Pa. (WTAJ) — Multiple dead deer — three with their heads allegedly cut off — led to charges for three men in Bedford, game commission officials said.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission charged Kai Bardell, 22, Edward Ilgenfritz, 27, and Harlan Group, 21, with a slew of charges relating to the illegal hunting of deer in Pennsylvania and Maryland after an investigation that began in November 2023.

The game commission said they were called about seven dead deer, three without heads, on Nov. 27, 2023. During the beginning of the investigation, it was believed a juvenile killed the deer, the charges show. While speaking with the juvenile, they claimed they had nothing to do with the seven dead deer. Through the interview, they ultimately admitted to killing a nine-point antlered deer in Maryland using Ilgenfritz’s Maryland hunting license.

According to the criminal complaint, Bardell and Group were also named by a juvenile, claiming they were driving both men at night to illegally hunt deer while Bardell was drinking. Investigators said that Bardell later admitted to killing just one deer because he was highly intoxicated, and later admitted to also killing an eight-point deer. It was discovered he used a .300 Blackout rifle. It was later discovered this happened multiple nights with photos on the social media app Snapchat as evidence.

In other instances, game commission officials believed, after viewing photos, that a deer Ilgenfritz was having European mounted was killed behind his home, investigators noted. They went to Ilgenfritz’s home and found an attractant set up on his property to bait deer — which is illegal in a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) zone. According to charges, Ilgenfritz allegedly admitted to using attractants such as “Buck Jam” and “Trophy Rock,” saying he killed a 10-point buck there.

It was also allegedly revealed by Ilgenfritz that he and Group had traveled into Maryland at night and illegally killed multiple Sika deer and transported a number of them back to Pennsylvania, another illegal act in a CWD zone.

Investigators determined that Ilgenfritz had a resident hunting license in both Pennsylvania and Maryland, however, while searching his home, they said evidence was found that he was a Maryland resident at the time of his kills, the complaint reads.

Photos of Bardell were later found with him allegedly holding a dead chipmunk, the complaint notes. Investigators said he was also seen with a semi-automatic pistol, which is illegal to use for hunting in Pennsylvania.

All three men are facing charges including unlawful killing, unlawful use of artificial light and killing big game over legal limits along with a slew of summary charges.

There is no information from the Pennsylvania Game Commission officials on any charges that may come to the unnamed juveniles who may have been involved.

Maryland court records do not show any charges against the three men for the alleged illegal hunting in their state.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com.