Doubt Raised on Ranger’s Claim of Attack
The FBI has investigated the possibility that a Yosemite National Park ranger shot himself, which would refute his claim of being wounded by an assailant on a remote park road, officials confirmed Tuesday.
However, it is unlikely that any criminal charges will be filed soon against Kim Aufhauser, 37, a seasonal ranger who was wounded in the leg on Tioga Pass Road in July, officials of three agencies said.
The Park Service closed Yosemite’s back country near Tuolumne Meadows to the public for two days while rangers searched unsuccessfully for the alleged assailant.
Results of the FBI’s investigation of the possibility that the wound was self-inflicted have been turned over to the U.S. attorney’s office in Fresno, said Jim Hyndman, a spokesman for the FBI in Fresno.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Carl Faller said no decision had been made on whether to prosecute Aufhauser, and none is expected soon.
Yosemite spokeswoman Kris Fister added that “there is no conclusive evidence either way.”
Fister said Aufhauser left the park at the end of summer to return to a community college teaching job. He was unavailable for comment, but his attorney, Kirk McAllister, told the San Francisco Examiner that it was ridiculous to think that Aufhauser shot himself.
But chief park ranger Bob Andrew said “it’s a legitimate question to be asked,” even though he does not think Aufhauser wounded himself.
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