Ronald Bristlewolf

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Ronald Bristlewolf was convicted of killing three people in the Black Rock Desert on June 15 or 16 and 28, 1978. The victims were:

  • Richard C. Weese, 40 of Longmont, CO
  • Judy Weese, 31, also of Longmont, CO
  • Peter Cachenaut, 75, a fellow desert recluse, who was killed after the Weeses on June 28, 1978

The LA Times article states that the couple was looking for a prospect worked by his father. Ronald Bristlewolf was known as Ronald Gress and in 1970 had blow off the thumb and a finger from his right hand. The LA Times stated that "the spring at the foot of Pinto Butte was called 'Three Fingers Hot Spring' because the hermit 'sort of rules over it'." Presumably, this is Pinto Hot Springs.

Bristlewolf was sentence to three consecutive life terms.

In December, 2013, the Nevada Prison Inmate Information site has a Ronald J. Gress, inmate #14937, Male, Caucasian, age 78, "INACTIVE-DEATH", no prior felonies. The February, 8 1980 news paper article states that he was 44, putting his birthdate around 1937-1938, which suggests he died in 2013. Archive.com has a 1940 Census page for Ron Gress, age 4, birth year 1936.

A 2003 newspaper article describes how in 1980, Jack Lee Harelson went to the Denio bar where the barkeep told him that a prospector, presumably Peter Cachenaut, had found a cave that was brimming with Indian artifacts. The barkeep told Harelson that Bristlewolf later shot the prospector and two other people. Harelson looked for, but did not find the cave. However, a few months later, Harelson found a crevice that they later excavated. That location was at Elephant Mountain, which is southwest of Pinto Hot Springs.

However, Outside Magazine states that Harelson was shown an arrowhead by Marge Stevens in Denio that had been given to Marge.

References