An anonymous, but kind-hearted resident erected white crosses sometime over the weekend on the site where 12 geese met their fate last month.

The memorial may be all the geese get in the form of justice.

A suspect identified in the killing of 12 Canada geese was tracked to Mason City, Iowa, where he boarded a bus bound for Colorado, but it is unlikely he will be prosecuted in the massacre, say local law enforcement officials.

Brian Kuphal, Department of Natural Resources enforcement supervisor for Freeborn County, has been in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service about whether or not this case can be taken to the federal level.

&uot;Geese are a federally protected bird, because they are migratory,&uot; said Kuphal. &uot;The charges that we would bring against him are all state charges and they are misdemeanors. States don’t extradite on misdemeanors. We are consulting with Fish and Wildlife right now and this case isn’t done.&uot;

The potential charges against the man stem from an incident in the early morning hours of July 24 in which 12 geese were run over after a vehicle allegedly jumped the curb and drove on the bike trail on Front Street where the birds were sleeping in the grass. Police believe the act was intentional.

&uot;We are in the process of getting a warrant out for his arrest,&uot; said Lt. Phil Bartusek, who is investigating the case. &uot;There is a possibility that there might be a federal angle because it is wildlife, but I’m not sure what angle we are going to take.&uot;

Putting a warrant out for the suspect’s arrest will make life difficult for him even if he never comes back to the state of Minnesota.

&uot;If he is ever in contact with law enforcement these outstanding warrants are going to hang over his head and life is going to be difficult,&uot; said Bartusek. &uot;Warrants do not go away.&uot;

For now the Albert Lea Police Department is waiting for word from Kuphal and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, but Bartusek feels that even if the case isn’t brought federally, a solution to this case will come.

&uot;Someday he is going to come back to Albert Lea. The holidays are coming up and he has relatives here,&uot; said Bartusek. &uot;I’m sure that our informants will let us know when he shows back up in Albert Lea.&uot;

(Contact Jennifer Rogers at jennifer.rogers@albertleatribune.com or at 379-3439.)