You are here

Man Who Claimed He Was Shot In Great Smoky Mountains National Park Changes Story

Share

A man who claimed last week that he was shot in the leg while hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park has changed his story and now says the shooting occurred outside the park.

Sanford Lethco, 29, of Sevier County, "confessed to park investigators that the gunshot wounds he received to his leg on Friday, September 7, were sustained in an incident occurring outside of the park boundaries, in Sevier County," the park announced Monday.

Mr. Lethco sustained and was treated for two gunshot wounds to the lower leg, wounds that he originally claimed to have received while hiking in the park, off trail, in the Cosby area, park officials said. He was flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center where he was treated, and later released, for his injuries.

The matter now is being handled by the Sevier County sheriff's department.

Comments

hmmm... I wonder how the park rangers "persuaded" Mr. Lethco to recant ;-)?


how very typical someone should try to blame a "normal, God-fearing, legal gun owner" for something perpetrated by his wife or he accidentally shot himself while cleaning his gun


I don't understand why he would make something like that up. Was he confused about his location but then somehow figured it out later? Is he hiding some shenanigans? This just brings more questions.


I was suspicious of this story from the beginning, but didn't want to comment on someone else's misfortune without really knowing the facts. It is very upsetting to think of an innocent hiker being shot while hiking in one of our national parks. I think we're all a wee bit thankful that it may turn out to be a personal problem.


Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.