In a story that will likely shock parents and parents’ rights activists everywhere, a Texas father says he has a message for his children’s killers: Keep it to yourself.
“It’s a stupid game,” says the unnamed father.
“You don’t need to tell people that you killed your kids, but if they want to know, they’re going to have to find out for themselves.”
The father says his son was killed in a bear attack on his ranch, which is about 30 miles north of the town of Pecos.
The attack took place at about 4:30 p.m. on May 10, the same day a man was killed by a bear on a ranch in the same area.
“The family members came in to see what was happening and found my son dead in the middle of the field,” the father says.
“I was crying.
I had to get out of there.
My heart just stopped.”
The family had spent the previous night hunting for a coyote and spotted the bear on the property.
When the father saw it, he rushed outside to confront it.
“They were trying to kill my son with a bear,” he says.
The bear charged the father and pinned him against a tree.
The father and his son wrestled the bear to the ground.
The mother, meanwhile, took her children to a nearby cabin to retrieve a firearm.
After she fired her weapon, she returned to the family’s home.
The bears body was found on the front porch by a hunter and a wildlife official.
The man who killed the boy, James Buechele, 30, is also facing charges for animal cruelty, animal neglect, and reckless conduct.
“If they’re gonna kill my kids, they better have a better plan for what to do with them,” says James Buedele.
“So I guess I’m not sure how they’re doing it,” he adds.
Buekele was charged with first-degree murder and is scheduled to appear in court on June 6.
He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
In an exclusive interview with Vice News, Buechetle, who also goes by the name Michael, says he does not blame the hunters for what happened to his son.
“What I want them to know is that they should be ashamed of themselves,” Buedelle says.
Buedele said he was trying to help his son, who was about 5 at the time, when the bear attacked him.
“He was trying so hard to save his family and himself, but unfortunately he was a good kid,” Buele says, adding that he would like to see his son’s killer punished.
“But I just hope that somebody gets justice for my son,” he added.
The hunt took place on May 12, the day after the death of a 2-year and 1-month-old girl in the village of Tarrant, Texas, in which a 5-year old boy was also killed by bears.
In both cases, bears were reported roaming the area around the time of the deaths.
In Tarrants case, officials said the child had been struck by a deer that was killed on the farm and that her body was buried in a field, which was not immediately identified.
In the case of the 2-month old girl, officials say her body had been found in a ravine and that she was found by a farmer.
“We did have some evidence that we think may have lead to the death,” Tarrantean Sheriff Tim Sutter told the Associated Press.
“This was a very sad situation.”
“If you’re going out and trying to catch a bear, the best bet is to not leave your children,” Sutter said.
“Just remember that you have to protect them, so you have some backup.”