Brian David Fyfe (left) and Logan Heavy Shields (right)

By Lara Fominoff

Man charged with stealing valuable ammonite fossil pleads not guilty

Jan 8, 2020 | 3:33 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A trial date is expected to be set in late January for one of two men accused of stealing an ammonite fossil from a mine site last July. 26-year-old Logan Heavy Shields pleaded not guilty to theft over $5,000 and trespassing charges in Lethbridge Provincial Court Wednesday morning (Jan. 8).

The fossil, estimated to be worth between $40,000 and $100,000 was found by workers at the Enchanted Design open pit mine, near the Blood Reserve.

According to RCMP, two men entered the company’s mine on July 16, 2019, and took the ammonite. Workers chased the men but were not able to recover the specimen.

Heavy Shields was arrested and released from custody on the condition he live with his father and abide by several other conditions, including no contact with his co-accused.

He will be back in court Jan. 22.

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34-year-old Brian David Fyfe is also facing the same charges. He appeared in Lethbridge Provincial Court in late Dec. 2019.

An ammonite is an extinct ocean mollusk that somewhat resembles a tightly coiled ram’s horn. In some parts of southern Alberta, the shells have fossilized into bright colours resembling a rainbow.

Intact shells with a variety of colours can fetch tens of thousands of dollars by collectors. In 2004, ammonite was named as Alberta’s official gemstone.