Oregon
Wildlife officials investigating after gray wolves found dead in Oregon
Federal authorities are asking the public for information that could help uncover how three endangered gray wolves died in Oregon.
The three wolves were found dead late last year and are the latest gray wolf deaths to be investigated in the state.
A $50,000 reward will be given to anyone who can provide information that leads to an arrest, or charges or fines over the wolf deaths, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Friday. The reward money is 10 times larger than other rewards for information on previous wolf deaths, according to news releases from Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife.
One of the three dead wolves was the breeding female for the wolves’ pack, authorities said. Gray wolves − which were first labeled an endangered species in the 1970s − typically live in packs where only one male-female pair produces pups, according to the U.S. National Park Service.
Two of the dead wolves, including the female, were wearing collars that “showed a mortality signal” on Dec. 29, officials said. When Oregon state wildlife officials responded to the site of the signal, they found a third dead wolf without a collar, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said.
The breeding female belonged to Oregon’s Gearhart Mountain Pack, the agency said, and the other two wolves were subadults in the same pack.
Federal authorities have not released information on how the three wolves died last year, and a spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not immediately respond to request for comment Monday.
Oregon officials continue to monitor the remaining seven members of the Gearhart Mountain pack, which includes the pack’s breeding male, the state’s department of fish and wildlife says.
Oregon has authorized ‘lethal removal’ of wolves
Wolves in Oregon have killed or injured livestock dozens of times in the past year, and in some cases, the “lethal removal” has been authorized by the state’s department of fish and wildlife.
Wildlife officials have also investigated other wolf deaths that were not authorized, according to press releases from the department.
In December 2022, officials were investigating an “illegal killing” of a gray wolf in the southern part of the state.
More recently, authorities said in December 2023 they were investigating another wolf death near Union Creek, Oregon.
In both cases, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said they offered a $5,000 reward for information that could lead to the arrest of someone connected to the deaths.
A 73-year-old man was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 years in prison for the 1983 killing of his then-girlfriend. It was a case that went unsolved for more than 40 years.
The sentence was announced by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield.
In July 1983, Teresa Peroni, 27, was reported missing after attending a party in the Selma area of Josephine County southwest of Grants Pass. She was last seen walking in the woods with her boyfriend Marcus Sanfratello.
Authorities deemed Peroni’s disappearance suspicious, but they lacked evidence to bring charges against anyone.
In 1997, a human skull was found on private property near where Peroni disappeared. In 2024, authorities in Josephine County reopened the case. In addition to re-interviewing witnesses, they collected new DNA evidence to build a case against Sanfratello.
With the DNA, experts at the University of North Texas confirmed the skull was Peroni’s.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man arraigned on murder charge in Oregon for death of then-girlfriend in 1980s cold case
A grand jury indicted Sanfratello of second-degree murder, on June 27, 2025.
Police arrested Sanfratello in Chico, California the next day. He was then extradited to Oregon to face the charge of murder.
Under a plea agreement, Sanfratello pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter.
He will serve at least 10 years in prison, Oregon’s attorney general’s office said.
“For Teresa Peroni’s family, this has been a 43-year wait for an answer they never should have had to wait for,” Rayfield said in a news release. “Cases like this remind us of why we don’t give up. It doesn’t matter how many years have passed — if someone took a life, we’re going to keep working until we can hold them accountable.”
Oregon
100+ Women Who Care of Central Oregon Donates Nearly $20,000 to M Perfectly – The Source – Bend, Oregon
The Oregon Ducks are set for one of the biggest timelines of their recruiting cycle, as many top targets are nearing commitments. This time around, the Ducks have a ton of top targets still remaining on their board compared to past seasons, as the Ducks have eight total commitments at this time.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff still need to land a safety commitment, but three-star safety Elijah Butler out of Maryland recently included the Ducks in his final six schools.
Oregon Target Elijah Butler Makes Exciting Recruiting Announcement
Butler announced his top six schools ahead of a crucial part of his recruitment, according to a graphic by Leyton Roberts. The Ducks made the cut alongside the Maryland Terrapins, Virginia Tech Hokies, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The talented prospect would be a great addition for any of these teams, as they could all use a safety prospect at this point in the recruiting timeline.
Butler is from the state of Maryland, which makes the Terrapins one to watch.
It is also worth noting that he has been labeled as one of the best players in the state of Maryland, as he currently ranks as the state’s No. 9 prospect, according to Rivals. This is important as the Terrapins have always made solid attempts to land their in-state stars, including last season when they landed one of the better players in the state’s history, Zion Elee.
As of now, the prospect hasn’t been predicted to land with any of these schools, which means it is likely still a tight race entering the official visit schedule. He has yet to schedule an official visit with all of the schools he has listed in his top six, as he is still missing three key official visits. Butler has scheduled official visits with Alabama, Auburn, and Florida, according to 247Sports. This means he still needs to set one with Oregon, Virginia Tech, and Maryland if he wants to take one to each school.
If the Ducks are able to get Butler on a visit, then they would likely be in a more favorable position to land his commitment, as it currently. seems they are one of the trailing teams from this list. It seems highly unlikely that the Ducks will gain his commitment unless they get him on an official visit, which is still possible at this point, as plenty of top prospects across the nation are still scheduling their official visits.
As of now, the Ducks have 27 prospects set to take an official visit, according to 247Sports. Among all of the prospects who have scheduled a visit thus far, only one of the players is listed as a safety. That player is a three-star target, Junior Tu’upo. This leads one to believe that the Ducks could try to get Butler on a visit, or at a minimum, pitch their program to the prospect from St Frances Academy.
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