No charges will be filed against Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after he admitted to leaving a bear carcass in Central Park in 2014. Authorities noted that the statute of limitations for such offenses is only one year.
The bear was discovered in the park in October 2014, sparking a mystery about how it ended up there. The story made headlines, capturing the attention of both local news channels and newspapers.
In a recent video posted on social media platform X, Kennedy recounted the incident that occurred nearly a decade ago. He explained that during a falconing trip, a woman in front of him accidentally struck and killed a young bear. He confessed to scooping up the bear and transporting it in his truck, intending to use its meat. However, after an evening out with friends, he became concerned the bear would spoil and decided to leave it in the park, staging an accident to cover it up.
He recounted having an old bike in his car and thought it would look plausible if he placed the bear in the park near the bike, making it seem as though the bear had been hit.
In 2014, a passerby discovered the bear and bike, sharing her puzzlement over the situation. After the initial investigation, police found no leads, and the case went cold.
Kennedy’s recent admission comes as he anticipates coverage of his political career, which is expected to mention the bear incident. His campaign indicated that he is not concerned about any potential legal consequences from his confession. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which investigated the case in 2014, revealed that the bear died from blunt-force trauma, and due to insufficient evidence, the investigation was closed that same year. The department reiterated that any violations would not result in charges due to the statute of limitations having expired.