Man Found Guilty of Poisoning Treaty Oak
A jury on Wednesday found a man guilty of trying to poison the historic Treaty Oak, a centuries-old tree that was severely damaged by the powerful herbicide Velpar.
Paul Stedman Cullen, 46, faces a possible life sentence because of a prior conviction. He has been jailed since his arrest in June, 1989.
State District Judge Bob Perkins scheduled sentencing for today.
Prosecutors claimed Cullen used the herbicide to poison the live oak tree in a ritual apparently designed to end his affection for his counselor at a methadone clinic. Foresters say at least half of the oak is dead.
The giant oak, estimated to be 500 years old, reportedly was the site of a treaty signing between Stephen F. Austin and Indians in the 1820s.
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