Ariz. AG: Rancher's Slaying the Work of Cartels

Arizona's attorney general says the killing of a southern Arizona rancher appears to be the work of a scout working for a drug cartel.

Robert Krentz was found shot to death Saturday on his ranch near Douglas.

Attorney General Terry Goddard said Friday that evidence at the scene appears consistent with the known behavior of drug runners working for cartels based in Mexico.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Goddard disputed a media report that he had said the murder was committed by a professional hit man working for a cartel. Goddard says there is no evidence that a professional killer was involved.

Goddard says cartels often place scouts in remote areas to monitor and coordinate the flow of drugs across the border, but he says the scouts aren't necessarily trained killers.