Claude Dallas
Encyclopedia
Claude Lafayette Dallas, Jr. (born March 11, 1950) was a self-styled mountain man
. The son of a dairy farmer, he spent his early years in Luce County, Michigan
, later moving to rural Morrow County, Ohio
where he liked to trap and hunt game. Dallas graduated from Mount Gilead High School, Mount Gilead, Ohio
in 1967. During the Vietnam War, he dodged the draft and fled west, earning a living as a ranch hand and trapper. Dallas was eventually charged with killing two game warden
s in rural Owyhee County
, Idaho
, in 1981. In 1986 Dallas escaped from prison and eluded law enforcement officials for a year before being captured.
Dallas attracted national media attention after both incidents, becoming a particularly controversial figure in Idaho. Some Idahoans saw him as a folk hero, defying the government by defending his right to live off the land; many others, however, were shocked and disgusted. After a manslaughter
conviction, Dallas served 22 years of a 30-year sentence and was released in February 2005.
, approached Dallas regarding the numerous obvious poaching
infringements in his camp in southern Idaho. During his murder trial, Dallas testified that while Elms was inside a tent containing poached bobcats, Pogue drew his weapon, although there was no evidence to support this claim. Dallas reacted by shooting Pogue with his own 357 caliber Ruger Security-Six handgun, which he habitually wore concealed. When Elms exited the tent, Dallas shot him too. Conley Elms was not armed at any point during the encounter.
After the initial gunfire, Dallas used his .22 caliber lever action rifle to shoot both officers execution style, once each in the head. He then threw Elms' body in a nearby river and, with the reluctant assistance of a friend, Jim Stevens, transported Pogue's body to a distant location, where he hid it in a coyote's den. Stevens, who happened to be visiting the trapper's camp that day, did not witness the first shots, although they occurred only 15 feet from where he stood, facing the river; however, he did see Dallas shoot Elms and Pogue in the head as they lay on the ground. The Ruger Security-Six handgun was recovered by a local Idaho man using a metal detector in December 2008.
Dallas fled the scene of the killings and was only found after an 11-month manhunt
.
Many were dismayed at the verdict, especially in light of the execution-style shots to both officer's heads. The judge apparently shared these sentiments: he sentenced Dallas to 30 years, the maximum for this offense.
in 1986 and was on the run for almost a year. His escape enlarged the legend that he was a nomadic trapper whose lifestyle conflicted with the government. Dallas was captured outside a 7-11 store in Riverside
, California
, in March 1987. He was then placed in a higher security state prison in Kansas.
Dallas served 22 years in prison, his sentence being reduced by eight years for good behavior. He was released in February 2005. He has been sighted living in Grouse Creek, Utah
.
Mountain man
Mountain men were trappers and explorers who roamed the North American Rocky Mountains from about 1810 through the 1880s where they were instrumental in opening up the various Emigrant Trails allowing Americans in the east to settle the new territories of the far west by organized wagon trains...
. The son of a dairy farmer, he spent his early years in Luce County, Michigan
Luce County, Michigan
-Government:The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates themajor local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers...
, later moving to rural Morrow County, Ohio
Morrow County, Ohio
Morrow County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. Shawnee people used the area for hunting purposes before white settlers arrived in the early 19th century. Morrow County was organized in 1848 from parts of four neighboring counties and named for Jeremiah Morrow, Governor of...
where he liked to trap and hunt game. Dallas graduated from Mount Gilead High School, Mount Gilead, Ohio
Mount Gilead, Ohio
Mount Gilead is a village in Morrow County, Ohio, United States.Mount Gilead's population was 3,290 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morrow County and the center of population of Ohio. The village was established in 1832, eight years after white settlers arrived in the region...
in 1967. During the Vietnam War, he dodged the draft and fled west, earning a living as a ranch hand and trapper. Dallas was eventually charged with killing two game warden
Game warden
A game warden is an employee who has the role of protecting wildlife. Game wardens may also be referred to as conservation officers or wildlife officers...
s in rural Owyhee County
Owyhee County, Idaho
Owyhee County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Idaho. In area it is the second largest county in Idaho, behind Idaho County. As of the 2000 Census, Owyhee County had a population of 10,644...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, in 1981. In 1986 Dallas escaped from prison and eluded law enforcement officials for a year before being captured.
Dallas attracted national media attention after both incidents, becoming a particularly controversial figure in Idaho. Some Idahoans saw him as a folk hero, defying the government by defending his right to live off the land; many others, however, were shocked and disgusted. After a manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
conviction, Dallas served 22 years of a 30-year sentence and was released in February 2005.
The incident
Two officers, Conley Elms and Bill Pogue of the Idaho Department of Fish and GameIdaho Department of Fish and Game
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is the Idaho state department which is responsible for preserving and managing Idaho’s wildlife, including mammals, fish, birds, and invertebrates....
, approached Dallas regarding the numerous obvious poaching
Poaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
infringements in his camp in southern Idaho. During his murder trial, Dallas testified that while Elms was inside a tent containing poached bobcats, Pogue drew his weapon, although there was no evidence to support this claim. Dallas reacted by shooting Pogue with his own 357 caliber Ruger Security-Six handgun, which he habitually wore concealed. When Elms exited the tent, Dallas shot him too. Conley Elms was not armed at any point during the encounter.
After the initial gunfire, Dallas used his .22 caliber lever action rifle to shoot both officers execution style, once each in the head. He then threw Elms' body in a nearby river and, with the reluctant assistance of a friend, Jim Stevens, transported Pogue's body to a distant location, where he hid it in a coyote's den. Stevens, who happened to be visiting the trapper's camp that day, did not witness the first shots, although they occurred only 15 feet from where he stood, facing the river; however, he did see Dallas shoot Elms and Pogue in the head as they lay on the ground. The Ruger Security-Six handgun was recovered by a local Idaho man using a metal detector in December 2008.
Dallas fled the scene of the killings and was only found after an 11-month manhunt
Manhunt (law enforcement)
In law enforcement, a manhunt is a search for a dangerous fugitive involving the use of all available police units and technology and sometimes help from the public....
.
The trial
Dallas was charged with two counts of first degree murder, but the trial quickly shifted focus to the alleged aggressiveness of one of the victims, Officer Pogue. The issue did sway the jury to convict Dallas of lesser charges of voluntary manslaughter and of using a firearm in the commission of a crime. At least one juror cited concern that Dallas was acting in self-defense when he shot Pogue.Many were dismayed at the verdict, especially in light of the execution-style shots to both officer's heads. The judge apparently shared these sentiments: he sentenced Dallas to 30 years, the maximum for this offense.
Prison and afterwards
Dallas escaped from the Idaho State PenitentiaryIdaho Department of Correction
The Idaho Department of Corrections mission is to Protect Idaho through Safety, Accountability, Partnerships and Opportunities for Offender Change. IDOC is responsible for the incarceration and community supervision of felony offenders in Idaho. The department operates eight prisons, five...
in 1986 and was on the run for almost a year. His escape enlarged the legend that he was a nomadic trapper whose lifestyle conflicted with the government. Dallas was captured outside a 7-11 store in Riverside
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in March 1987. He was then placed in a higher security state prison in Kansas.
Dallas served 22 years in prison, his sentence being reduced by eight years for good behavior. He was released in February 2005. He has been sighted living in Grouse Creek, Utah
Grouse Creek, Utah
Grouse Creek is an unincorporated community in the nearly unpopulated northwestern region of Box Elder County, Utah, United States, near the Idaho and Nevada borders. It lies along unpaved roads north of State Route 30 in the Grouse Creek Mountains. Its elevation is 5,331 feet...
.
Claude Dallas in popular culture
- Ian TysonIan TysonIan Tyson CM, AOE is a Canadian singer-songwriter, best known for his song "Four Strong Winds". He was also one half of the duo Ian & Sylvia.-Career:Tyson was born to British immigrants in Victoria in 1933, and grew up in Duncan B.C...
's 1987 album, Cowboyography, includes a song entitled "Claude Dallas" telling the story of the incident. - True crime author Jack OlsenJack OlsenJack Olsen was an American journalist and author known for his thorough, scholarly approach to crime reporting. Olsen was Senior Editor and Chief for the Sun-Times in Chicago Illinois in 1954...
described Dallas and the murders in his book Give a Boy a Gun. - Another book-length treatment of this subject is Outlaw by Jeff Long.
- The 1986 TV movie Manhunt for Claude Dallas is based on Long's book. It stars Matt SalingerMatt SalingerMatthew Salinger is an American actor. He is the son of author J. D. Salinger and psychologist Claire Douglas.-Career:...
as Dallas, Claude AkinsClaude AkinsClaude Marion Akins was an American actor with a long career on stage, screen and television.Powerful in appearance and voice, Akins could be counted on to play the clever tough guy, on the side of good or bad, in movies and television. He is best remembered as Sheriff Lobo in the 1970s TV series...
as Bill Pogue, and Brent SpinerBrent SpinerBrent Jay Spiner is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and four subsequent films. His portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact and of Dr...
as Jim Stevens. - City ConfidentialCity ConfidentialCity Confidential is an American documentary television show, transmitted on the A&E Network, which singled out a community during each episode and investigated a crime that had occurred there. Rather than being a straighforward procedural, the installments began by focusing on the history and...
episode 45 (2001) is an hour-long documentary on the homicide. - Wild Game (1995) by Frank BergonFrank BergonFrank Bergon is an American writer whose novels, essays, anthologies, and literary criticism focus primarily on the American West.-Biography:...
presents a fictionalized account of these events. - The FBI FilesThe FBI FilesThe FBI Files is an American television docudrama series that originally ran from 1998 to 2006. It was carried by the Discovery Channel cable network and produced by New Dominion Pictures of Suffolk, Virginia...
episode Murdering Cowboy chronicled the murder and the subsequent events.
External links
- Amazon.comAmazon.comAmazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
's entry for Jeff Long's book on the incident - Amazon.comAmazon.comAmazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
's entry for Jack Olsen's book on the incident - Another account of the incident from the Federal Wildlife Officer's Association.
- Lyrics to Tom RussellTom RussellThomas George "Tom" Russell is an American singer-songwriter. Although most strongly identified with the Texas Country music tradition, his music also incorporates elements of folk, Tex-Mex, and the cowboy music of the American West. Many of his songs have been recorded by other artists, including...
's 1986 song about Claude Dallas. - Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
's entry for the made-for-TV movie, "Manhunt for Claude Dallas (1986)