Idaho Surveyor Hunter Edwards – Lies Exposed

Dorothy Walker

Idaho County, ID – Justice has surely found itself in a sad state of affairs in the great state of Idaho. A widowed lady, Dorothy Walker, has been forced to spend over eight long years and hundreds of thousands of dollars attempting to protect her property from those trying to take it!

In 2009, Dorothy and her now deceased husband Sydney “Butch” Walker filed a lawsuit against Bessie Harmon, Etta Harmon, Ellen Hoiland, Dean Hoiland and Elvin Harmon for allegedly encroaching on Walkers’ land. Elvin Harmon has since been dismissed from the suit.

What began as a simple property dispute has now evolved into a major property dispute involving several neighbors and multiple attorneys.

Surveyor Carl Edwards and his Son Hunter Edwards

Hunter Edwards

Those directly involved in Dorothy Walker’s boundary case in Idaho County, Idaho have been shocked to see allegedly fabricated monuments and fake boundary lines created by surveyors Carl Edwards and his son Hunter Edwards. Really, they should not be surprised as Hunter has declared himself the “Guru” of American surveying. When referring to himself he says you can call him the, “Wizard of Idaho.” If a Guru and a Wizard, then is it permissible for him to reposition survey monuments at will?

According to court paperwork, surveyor Hunter Edwards has been designated as the expert witness for Dorothy Walker’s neighbors. Many neighbors insist that they should be allowed to take approximately 50 acres of land from Dorothy that she can prove she purchased decades ago.

According to witnesses, as if he has also been designated a “sacred cow,” Hunter Edwards has not been held either accountable or responsible by anyone for his reported surveying fakery. The survey record written statements show that he has lied at will, even when faced with his own polar-opposite statements, some of which were made under oath, and then with impunity, he has been known to make up new, BOLD FACED lies to cover his tracks.

Furthermore, no one, not even the Land Survey Board of Idaho, can apparently get him to tell the truth. Rather, the Board accepts what he says under a mystique that his presentments are credible. In the past, he has lied to the Survey Board on numerous occasions. The Board has refused to objectively evaluate his statements. Hunter also strings along his clients with fictional stories of how Dorothy Walker’s property should be their property and, of course, they likely don’t know the difference because surveying is complicated.

Even Judges Have Been Bamboozled by Hunter Edwards

When Judge John Stegner, of Moscow was assigned to this case, he bent over backwards to insist that Hunter Edwards was a credible and reliable witness who could not be challenged. Even before any testimony had been given, before Hunter could be impeached by cross examination that would have shown his statements lacked credibility, Judge Stegner actually stated he will, “believe everything that Hunter Edwards says is right… is right.”

A clearer statement of judicial prejudice could not exist. What this statement means is that Judge Stegner had already decided to favorably consider everything that Hunter Edwards said as if it was correct without fact-checking, which is what we investigative journalists must do to avoid being accused of printing “fake news.”

It is most interesting that Dorothy Walker listed credible expert surveyor witnesses who factually counter the positions taken by Hunter Edwards, putting their opinions in writing. But, as Hunter reportedly said in his recent deposition, his purpose is to support the prior surveys of his father, rather than seek the truth.

Certainly, a fair-minded judge who is truly neutral and who is himself seeking the truth would want to hear both sides before deciding to rely upon any so-called expert witness. Stegner’s prejudice is especially harmful when the expert has been shown, time and again, to be lying about case-related information. One witness stated, “Hunter Edwards has clearly deceived the court with his lies.”

After listening to the tape-recorded deposition of Hunter Edwards, the following is just one example of the lies that rolled so easily off of his tongue. It is undisputed that on January 6, 2014, Hunter Edwards was caught trespassing on Walker land, as he was in a place where he had no right to be and was there without permission from Dorothy Walker.

After the Sheriff escorted him off the Walker property, his attorney emailed the Walker’s attorney asking if Hunter Edwards could then have permission to again go upon Walker land simply to “check” a survey monument. Permission was denied.

Later, in a sworn declaration, Hunter Edwards admitted he did not have permission from Dorothy Walker to enter her land, and stated that his purpose, rather than to “check” a monument, was to move a monument 143 feet to the east; a move which would have deprived Dorothy Walker of more than eight (8) acres of land (on top of the 50 acres the neighbors have already “falsely claimed from her”). Hunter specifically stated that he knew Walker had no idea that he intended to reposition the survey monument in question.

After having been removed from the Walker land for trespassing, and after having admitted that he was on Walker property without Dorothy Walker’s permission in a court-filed, sworn declaration, Hunter Edwards reversed his previous account of events. In his more recent deposition, he stated that he had obtained Dorothy Walker’s prior permission to enter her land in January 2014. The lack of truthfulness is self-evident from the fact that Hunter Edwards would not have been considered a trespasser and would not have been escorted off Walker land if he had first obtained permission to enter. The only problem; Hunter never had permission.

While all of this undermines the credibility of Hunter Edwards as a truth-teller, additionally, and according to one witness, he recently admitted moving stones around the Walker property simply to create the appearance of authenticity to make it appear that his surveys and the surveys of his father should be considered legitimate. It seems that appearances are more important to Hunter Edwards than truth.

Thus, the question is, when it comes to making the final determination in this case, should any judicial official automatically rely upon the testimony of Hunter Edwards as if it is credible? Hunter has shown time-and-again to be flawed with his false statements and fabricated monuments that are not supported by the other available corroborating evidence.

Judge Stegner

Judge Stegner’s blatant prejudiced actions – by showing favor of Hunter Edwards, recently came to a screeching halt. Judge Stegner had to disqualify himself.

A new judge from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho has been recently appointed to preside over this horrific case. Hopefully, the new judge will be a model of objectivity and open-mindedness in a case fraught with difficulties – one that has been pending for over eight years.

Just so those reading are clear, Hunter Edwards was recently required to give a deposition by sworn testimony before a court reporter explaining his contradictory positions! To say that he is a “Flip-flopper” would put it mildly. What Hunter’s testimony will look like at a trial is hard to imagine. The many different and opposing views he has taken are obvious, and part of the record that exists.

This self-destruction of his own credibility confirms the suspicions of the Walker family. “Hunter Edwards and his father, Carl Edwards, fabricated survey monument positions in locations where they were never intended to be.” They allegedly did so in order to create a distorted picture of land boundaries that they have redrawn over the years, benefiting other landowners, not the Walkers.

Editor’s Note: Anyone with information on Carl Edwards, his son, Hunter Edwards or others involved in this case are urged to contact Edward Snook at 541-474-7885 or by emailing: editor@usobserver.com.