The message written in big blue spray-painted letters was not the only surprise left for the previously convicted poacher at his Marco Island, Florida residence. There were also pigs feet drenched in hot sauce scattered across the driveway.
— Star Tribune (@StarTribune) August 5, 2015
— Lindsey Sablan (@LindseySablan) August 4, 2015
— David Hodges (@hodgesreporting) August 5, 2015
The address of Palmer’s vacation home was posted online last week, and is now being guarded by private security. Palmer has also hired a private investigator, Walter Zalisko of Global Investigative group, to keep tabs on the residence.
— Edam Law PLLC (@EDAM_LAW) July 31, 2015
Meanwhile, police in Palmer’s hometown of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, are so concerned over the multitude of death threats that the dentist has received that police supervisors themselves are conducting drive-by checks on his primary residence there.
— ᴊʀᴀʙʙɪᴛ (@jrabbitmusic) July 30, 2015
Palmer’s whereabouts remain unknown, but Zimbabwe is asking that the United States extradite him to face charges.
In 2008, Palmer pleaded guilty to federal poaching charges after killing a black bear in Wisconsin, 40 miles outside of the legal hunting zone. He was sentenced to one year of probation and fined $3,000, clearly not harsh enough a penalty to deter him from killing again.
The dentist admits that he paid $50,000 to travel to Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, and used a dead animal as bait to lure the famed 13-year-old lion out of the protected area. He then shot Cecil with a bow and arrow, tracked him for the next 40 hours, and eventually shoot him with a gun before skinning and beheading him.
Two of the men who assisted Palmer on his poaching trip were arrested, and have subsequently made bail.
"There has been an outcry," Oppah Muchinguri, Zimbabwe's environment, water and climate minister, stated at a news conference. "Almost 500,000 people are calling for his extradition and we need this support. We want him tried in Zimbabwe because he violated our laws."
