Roxanne McKnight, 39, and Dusty Spencer, 43, from Durango, Colorado, have been sentenced for trespassing onto a historical site at Canyonlands National Park in Utah. The two individuals disturbed artifacts that were on display at the location.
McKnight has received a one-year ban from federal public lands in Utah along with one year of probation. Spencer faces a two-year ban and two years of probation. Additionally, both have been ordered by a U.S. Magistrate Judge to pay fines and restitution amounting to $1,500.
The sentences follow their guilty pleas to charges of possessing or disturbing cultural or archaeological resources and entering an archeological or cultural resource area without permission—offenses classified as Class B misdemeanors.
Court documents reveal that on March 23, 2024, McKnight and Spencer entered a restricted area within Canyonlands National Park. They reportedly handled several historic artifacts preserved at the Cave Springs Cowboy Camp. The items included antique horse tack and cabinetry. This camp is protected by fencing and signs warning visitors not to enter—a warning which McKnight and Spencer ignored.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah. The investigation was carried out by the National Park Service (NPS).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Luisa Gough and Tanner Zumwalt from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.