Stillwater investigators believe dead longhorn case likely part of fraternity rivalry
Dec. 4—Initial investigations into a dead longhorn left on an Oklahoma Sate University fraternity's lawn has Stillwater officials believing they may know a bit more about the cow's condition and possibly who might be responsible.
Stillwater Police received a call early Friday morning about a dead longhorn, sliced on the flank with the words "F — — FH" painted on the hide — at an off-campus fraternity house on Monroe Street.
FarmHouse is an agriculture based frat, which apparently has a rival at OSU. The fact that the longhorn carcass dumping took place before OSU played the University of Texas Longhorns for the Big 12 Football Championship might not be as relevant as many believed.
"The initial finding of the necropsy from the OSU Animal Disease and Diagnostic Laboratory is, 'the animal was suffering from a natural disease process.' Final necropsy results should be available soon and reveal additional information about the time of death, cause of death, and if there is any evidence of animal cruelty," a City of Stillwater press release reads. "Preliminary reports from this multi-jurisdictional investigation indicate that members of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity have imperative information about the acquisition, transportation, and dumping of the animal corpse.
"Stillwater Police appreciates the cooperation from the FarmHouse fraternity and will continue efforts to collect information from Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity."
Oklahoma State University, which called the act "appalling and disturbing" in a Friday press release, recently sent a statement to the News Press that the medical exam report had not been finalized.
"The Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory is in the process of completing testing and will submit a report to the Stillwater Police Department upon conclusion of its work. The Stillwater Police Department is leading the criminal investigation and requested the examination by the OADDL lab," the statement reads. "Oklahoma State University continues to support the Stillwater Police Department in its investigation, and the university's Office of Student Support and Conduct is continuing its investigation. We stand with the Stillwater community in condemning this reprehensible and disturbing act, which in no way represents the values of our institution."
No OSU representatives have provided a statement about rival fraternities or possible motive.
The timing of the animal's death could be relevant to whatever possible charges might be faced if a suspect is ever found.
The City of Stillwater wrote that "the heinous nature of how the animal carcass was disposed is unlawful," but did not provide further detail on what potential crimes may have been permitted.
Animal cruelty, a felony in Oklahoma, is described as if a person were to "willfully or maliciously torture, destroy or kill, or cruelly beat or injure, maim or mutilate any animal in subjugation or captivity, whether wild or tame, and whether belonging to the person or to another, or deprive any such animal of necessary food, drink, shelter, or veterinary care to prevent suffering; or who shall cause, procure or permit any such animal to be so tortured, destroyed or killed, or cruelly beaten or injured, maimed or mutilated, or deprived of necessary food, drink, shelter, or veterinary care to prevent suffering; or who shall willfully set on foot, instigate, engage in, or in any way further any act of cruelty to any animal, or any act tending to produce such cruelty."