GEM COUNTY

SQUAW BUTTE

Bureau of Land Management
8N-1W-25

February 11, 1938:   "Audie James Robnett, testifying in his own defense during the third day of his first degree murder trail, Thursday told of incidents leading to the killing of Anna Jean Phipps, his 15-year-old sweetheart, as she lay nude in the back seat of his automobile.
      Robnett acted out before the jury the motions he was going through in loading his revolver when a bullet accidentally discharged, he said, fatally wounding the girl.
      His story of accidentally shooting the girl conflicted directly with his earlier statement to Sheriff Boise Riggs, which Judge A.O. Sutton allowed the prosecution to introduce in evidence just before resting its case earlier in the day.
      In the statement, dictated to Sheriff Riggs from a Boise hospital bed where Robnett lay dangerously wounded, the 22-year-old Kansas City, Mo., youth said he had taken Anna Jean to a deserted forest lookout station on isolated Squaw Creek ridge with the intention of killing her and ending his own life.
      The defense, however, opened its case with a statement to the jury that the confession was taken from Robnett while he was delirious as the result of morphine injections.
      Robnett said that following his dismissal from a Boise CCC camp where he had been working as a mechanic, a 'terrible despair' overtook him, and he considered suicide.
      He testified he had written a letter to his sister in Kansas City, explaining that he was going to 'leave life,' and for her not to worry.  But he thought things over, he said, 'perked up' a little, and on October 5 decided to hitch-hike back to his home.  He did not mail the letter, but put it in his pocket.
      He borrowed a car on a 'demonstration' and went to Emmett to Anna Jean goodbye, he continued.  She suggested that they go for a ride, he claimed, and asked that he buy some gin.
      Robnett purchased the liquor and they went out through the mountains hunting for a spot to shoot at targets.  He said they kept getting 'drunker and drunker' on the gin and finally stopped at the place where the shooting occurred.
      Robnett said that while she was in the back seat, he knelt in the front to load the gun.  It was pointed at Anna Jean, and when he pulled the slide to inject a bullet, the gun fired and a slug struck her in the chest.  He acted this portion of his testimony.
      Then, he said, he shot himself and knew no more until he recovered consciousness.  It was dark then and after vainly attempting to revive Anna Jean, he drove to a farm house for help.
      Both Robnett and the girl were unclothed when the shooting occurred.  Robnett, although seriously wounded, managed to get into his trousers and shirt, but made no effort to clothe the girl."   (Nevada State Journal)

The NGS Data Sheet


STATION DESCRIPTION

DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1959 (JEG)
THE LOOKOUT TOWER IS A CORRUGATED METAL BUILDING 12 FEET SQUARE
AND 24 FEET TALL PAINTED WITH ALUMINUM PAINT SURROUNDED BY
WINDOWS ABOUT 20 FEET FROM THE GROUND AND SURMOUNTED BY A FLAT
ROOF SLOPING FROM EAST TO WEST. IT IS A GRAZING LAND FIRE
LOOKOUT OPERATED BY THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT AND IS LOCATED
ON THE HIGHEST PART OF THE SOUTHERN END OF SQUAW BUTTE BETWEEN
TWO SMALLER MICRO-WAVE BUILDINGS. IT IS ABOUT 10 MILES
NORTH-NORTHEAST OF EMMETT. THE POINT OF INTERSECTION WAS THE
CENTER OF THE SIDE.