Lost hunter found, then jailed on warrant

At approximately 3 p.m. Thursday, a lost hunter, 30-year-old Wade Allen McNutt, was located on a right-of-way pipeline in east Liberty County.

McNutt had left his hunting party to hunt alone at 5 a.m. Wednesday morning and became lost in a heavily wooded area near the Liberty and Jefferson county lines several miles north of Hwy. 90.

Found safe and in good physical condition after being in the cold and wet woods overnight, McNutt then spent Thursday night in the Liberty County jail where he was booked on an outstanding felony warrant for grand theft out of the State of Florida.   

According to sheriff’s lead Investigator Ann Marie Mitchell, McNutt and his hunting party separated at about 5 a.m. Wednesday and were to meet back at their camp at 4:30 p.m., but McNutt did not show up, and at approximately 10 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office was called for a search.

During Wednesday night, searchers from the Devers Volunteer Fire Department, game wardens and sheriff’s deputies, including the use of the Sheriff’s Office unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) with a heat sensing device on board, searched through the night with negative results.

Then at about 3 p.m. Thursday, McNutt was located on a pipeline right-of-way a few miles north of the hunting camp and found to be in good physical condition despite his overnight in the woods. There was no immediate information available on what McNutt did to make it through the night.

Later, a routine criminal history check revealed McNutt was wanted in Florida on an outstanding felony warrant for grand theft and he was taken into custody.

According to Investigator Mitchell, Wade Allen McNutt was placed in the Liberty County jail on the grand theft charge out of Florida and is being held for those authorities. The investigation is continuing to determine if any additional charges will be filed.