"Hunter Death Called Murder"

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Wednesday, December 5, UPDATED: 6:21 p.m.
By Jon Meyer

The body of a hunter was found near Long Pond in Monroe County Tuesday and investigators who were at the scene Wednesday said he was shot several times.

Late Wednesday afternoon, police said there was a shootout between the suspect and the victim in the woods near Long Pond.

Investigators said Lee Vanluvender, 22, of Bartonsville was killed. Police said he was shot several times Tuesday and left for dead. Officers said it doesn't appear the suspect was hit.

Police hammered a knife into a tree in the woods near Long Pond as they dug for evidence. They were back on the scene a day Vanluvender's body was found along Hypsie Gap Road. A frozen pool of blood remained in the snow there as officers pulled a bullet from that tree nearby.

Officers took photographs of what they found and they used metal detectors looking for more.

Police don't believe this was any hunting accident. The district attorney said Vanluvender was murdered, shot several times.

"He was out here hunting in the morning alone. Another hunter came to hunt the area and found the victim right here next to his truck," said Pocono Mount Regional Police Detective Sergeant Chris Wagner.

Police said Vanluvender's truck was parked at the intersection of two dirt roads. Investigators said even though the spot is rather remote, Hypsie Gap Road is used often as a short cut.

Officers said Vanluvender's body wasn't there long before another hunter found it at 10 a.m. Tuesday, beginning the intense police investigation.

"We have a lot of avenues that we are pursuing. We are optimistic we're going to get to the bottom of this," Wagner added.

Investigators said at this point, they don't know if Lee Vanluvender was targeted or if this was some kind of hunters rage incident that led to the shootout.

Officers do say only Vanluvender's blood was found at the scene.

Link

Damage Control

Update

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Monroe County man died of multiple gunshot wounds
BY KIMM R. MONTONE
STAFF WRITER
12/07/2007
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TUNKHANNOCK TWP. — An autopsy performed Wednesday on a Monroe County man who was found shot to death near Long Pond revealed he died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head and abdomen, police said.

But Pocono Mountain Regional Police still do not know who shot Lee VanLuvender, 22, of Bartonsville, on Tuesday morning.

However, they do know he was shot with a handgun, but declined to say what caliber bullet was recovered. Evidence also shows Mr. VanLuvender returned fire with the unknown assailant, Lt. Harry W. Lewis said.

“We’re talking about a window of opportunity 30 to 45 minutes,” Lt. Lewis said, of the discovery by a hunter of Mr. VanLuvender’s body near Hypsie Gap Road. “(We) don’t know if it’s premeditated.”

Less than an hour before his death, police said several hunters and a patrolman noticed the young hunter on the state game lands in the area of Hypsie Gap Road and Upper Tunkhannock Creek, Tuesday morning.

“The uniqueness of the state game lands it that it’s rural, but it’s busy because of the hunters down there,” Lt. Lewis said.

At about 7 a.m., Tuesday, Mr. VanLuvender left home and told his family goodbye, saying he was going hunting.

Anyone with information, or who was in the area of Hypsie Gap Road and Upper Tunkhannock Creek on Tuesday morning, is asked to call the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Unit at 895-2400.

Contact the writer: kmontone@timesshamrock.com

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Mother Remembers Murdered Son

Thursday, December 6, 4:40 p.m.
By Scott Schaffer

As police in the Poconos continue their search for a killer, the mother of a hunter who died in what investigators called a "shoot-out" shared her grief.

Click for larger image
Lee Vanluvender

"Lee had no enemies, so I don't know. I don't know what happened," said Charlene Sebring of her son, Lee Vanluvender. The last two days have been the worst of her life.

On Tuesday morning she said goodbye to her 22-year-old son who told her he was going hunting for two hours. She never saw him again.

Police said Vanluvender was shot dead during what investigators describe as a 'shootout' at the state game lands near Long Pond.

So far there's no explanation as to what really happened.

"He lived to work, to hunt, to take care of his child. He wasn't into drugs or drinking. He was good. He was a good boy," Sebring added.

Vanluvender's child is two-year-old Shawn whom his grandmother refers to as 'Shawny'.

"Shawny's two. Shawny's two years old. He shouldn't have to live his life not knowing his daddy," his grieving grandmother said.

Hunters were going into the woods Thursday not far from the homicide scene. Word spread fast about the shooting but Noel Squitieri of Kresgeville can't imagine another hunter was responsible.

"I've been doing this so long and I've never even bumped into an upset hunter at the end of a day without a deer, let alone somebody with a bad attitude," Squitieri said.

Back at the home near Bartonsville where Vanluvender lived with his family his mother said there will be no Christmas this year.

"He was my best friend, and now I'm broken. Somebody has to tell me, somebody needs to come forward and say 'I'm sorry' because he's gone," Sebring added.

Click for larger image
Police said Lee Vanluvender drove this Jeep when he went hunting Tuesday morning.

Police Thursday released a picture of the Jeep Vanluvender drove the day he was killed, according to investigators. Police hope someone may have seen it and could help investigators track Vanluvender's movements.

An autopsy was performed on Vanluvender's body Thursday. Police in Monroe County said the young man was shot in the head and the chest with a handgun.

The investigation continues.

Link

http://local.wnep.com/wn/photos.php?id=61416

http://local.wnep.com/wn/photos.php?id=61439

Link

This is just sad.
Damage Control

Re: "Hunter Death Called Murder"

not enough room in state game lands

people get into arguments all the time