The findings on internal investigation into the New Year's Day shooting of a bull elk on Mapleton Hill by two officers was released Boulder Police Wednesday, reported The Denver Post.

The 42-page report concludes that no other officer except Sam Carter and Brent Curnow were involved in killing of the animal. The report also states that no other officers were aware of the duo's plans.

Carter, 35, and Curnow, 38, are facing nine criminal charges each - including three felonies. The prosecutors said that the text messages exchanges between the two officers revealed that they planned to kill the elk as a trophy.

On Jan. 1, Carter, who was on-duty, shot the elk near Ninth Street and Mapleton Avenue with a shotgun. Curnow, who had said he was ill, came to haul the carcass away in his pickup, reported Denver Post.

Authorities said that Carter lied to them saying that the animal was injured and he felt that it needed to be put down. He did not tell the officials about the shooting and a necropsy of the elk meat showed no signs of the animal being injured.

The Boulder Police Department launched an internal investigation in to Carter and Curnow along with the criminal charges. Both the officers gave their resignation in January before the findings of the investigation were published.