After four months, authorities in Wisconsin have solved the case of a stolen pine tree. Last November, a rare 25-foot tall Algonquin Pillar Swiss Mountain pine tree near the University of Wisconsin Arboretum was cut down in the middle of the night. The culprits also cut off a 12-foot-long section from a Compact White Fir tree and left it behind. Authorities estimated they caused $13,000 in damages.
Authorities determined that the tree was stolen by three 19-year-old university students who were pledging the former Chi Phi fraternity, which was lost its status as an official student organization in 2015 over allegations of hazing. They said the three students, identified as Cameron Krahn, Cody Knepprath, and Joshua Michels, purchased a chainsaw and rented a U-Haul truck which they used to cart away the tree, which was planted in 1988.
When the students realized the outcry their theft caused, they destroyed the rare tree and dumped it outside city limits.
The three men were each given a misdemeanor citation for removing the tree and will have to pay a $200 fine. The University of Wisconsin has not said if the students will face punishment for stealing the beloved tree.
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