Why would they take the legs?
[QUOTE=Blinky;8375657]
Why would they take the legs?[/QUOTE]
Dog fight baiting
[QUOTE=horsegurl;8375599]
There was a post on Facebook where the comments included someone stating that this type of slaughter crime has been going on for a while in Florida. Either it doesn’t make the media and reach the masses or the authorities ignore it. I believe this act agains the Stephens was a reaction to the slaughter houses being raided in Loxahatchee, but, could have also been just a continuation of the slaughter crimes in Florida. Note date on article, last July…
http://m.local10.com/news/competitive-show-horse-slaughtered-for-meat-in-hialeah/34315018[/QUOTE]
After looking at the news article on the slaughterhouses in Loxahatchee and the sadistic individuals who worked in them, I wish we could do like it was in the old West. Horse thieves were shot or hung, although either of those options are way too good for these bastards. How can you do ANY of these things to animals? If only we could do to them what they did to all of these animals. Thank God for the ones they could save. So sick and so sad…
Florida is a “stand your ground” state. Aside from that, you can protect your livestock as well.
What I don’t understand is why would someone target a horse from a place where there are security cameras. There’s plenty of easy pickens elsewhere.
Which leaves me thinking that it’s a message or revenge, and surely some insider paid to look down at their shoes.
Florida news is reporting that William Shatner donated $5,000 towards the reward.
http://wfla.com/2015/10/26/search-continues-for-palmetto-show-horse-killers/
I feel terrible for this family and horse! If they were really taking it for the meat, wouldn’t they avoid a horse flown overseas because it may have been drugged for the flight? Not sure about what exactly but would think they give them a little ace or something.
[QUOTE=Hiddenspot;8375760]
I feel terrible for this family and horse! If they were really taking it for the meat, wouldn’t they avoid a horse flown overseas because it may have been drugged for the flight? Not sure about what exactly but would think they give them a little ace or something.[/QUOTE]
You are making some very strange assumptions.
Do you really think that criminals who butcher other people’s horses for meat have any way of knowing if the horse is medicated? Do you suppose that somehow they research every horse before they take them from a pasture or a stall and butcher them?
Do you honestly think they would bother, or CARE, even if they had such magical powers of research? :no:
These are not nice people, they care about money and that is all they care about.
[QUOTE=Blinky;8375657]
Why would they take the legs?[/QUOTE]
The killers’ legs should be fed to those fighting dogs. It was bad enough for this horse to have been killed for meat, but even more heinous that this also involves dog fighting.
Things finally make some sense with a little speculation.
Three illegal slaughterhouses were shut down on October 13th on the basis of evidence provided by the head of ARM who was quoted in the news as saying that show horses from Wellington were being slaughtered in them. Two weeks later a show horse is stolen and slaughtered in a way that would give maximum publicity.
Could this be a form of retaliation against the head of ARM and the authorities that shut down the illegal abattoirs? Thought process could have been–“You say that we are slaughtering highly expensive show horses. Well, by God, we’ll do just that. So there.”
Part of me wonders if this particular horse was chosen purely because he was accessible and easy to handle. Not some huge statement, just a random choice that ended up being a big value, big name animal.
Crime of opportunity is what I’m thinking. Seems to be the MO for other horse owners in FL that have experienced similar tragedies. This one is getting a ton of press because it’s an expensive show horse owned by an affluent couple, where most of the others have not been. That and it follows on the heels of the recent slaughter farm busts.
ETA: Found this article from 2009 where is states 24 horses were found taken and slaughtered that year. http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Another-slaughtered-horse-carcass-discovered-Tuesday-night-79958907.html
Another: http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/08/10/horses.slaughtered/
This has been going on for a while down there and makes me very glad I don’t live there.
I think this was a tragic, gruesome act, and that I hope the perpetrators are caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law!
I also was wondering how this may or may not impact some of the FL winter show circuits: Wellington and/or Ocala… I understand that this was in the Tampa area not close to the above, but if this along with other horse killings in FL may lessen attendance.
As horrific as it sounds, they took the legs because when they harvest the meat, the parts they want are attached to the legs (upper shoulder to forearm, back loin through upper hind leg). It’s not like whoever did this did a full butcher job on the site, out by a roadway, at night. They carved out the parts they wanted and got out of there. They didn’t take time to remove the lower legs at the scene. It’s not indicative of revenge or dog baiting, its indicative of criminal expediency. Also, horse meat is a delicacy in many parts of South/Central America, and really outside of SFL, Tampa probably has the largest population, so its possible slaughtering horses has not just been SFL’s dirty little secret. There’s certainly a market for it in Tampa as well, and maybe the recent shutdowns have put some pressures on the supply.
But Imperial’s layout (as I recall it) is not exactly what I would think of as an obvious place to go looking for a victim (but I can see where once you had the horse it was not difficult). So I hope the police are questioning (and I am quite sure they are) any former employees (or other vendors who go in and out of the place) who might have a grudge against the Stephens, because that seems like the obvious way someone would know to go there for a target.
It truly is horrific, and my heart goes out to the Stephens and their staff, and I truly hope they catch whoever did this quickly, so Debbie and Steve can have some tiny measure of closure.
[QUOTE=vineyridge;8375941]
Things finally make some sense with a little speculation.
Three illegal slaughterhouses were shut down on October 13th on the basis of evidence provided by the head of ARM who was quoted in the news as saying that show horses from Wellington were being slaughtered in them. Two weeks later a show horse is stolen and slaughtered in a way that would give maximum publicity.
Could this be a form of retaliation against the head of ARM and the authorities that shut down the illegal abattoirs? Thought process could have been–“You say that we are slaughtering highly expensive show horses. Well, by God, we’ll do just that. So there.”[/QUOTE]
This is what I have been saying. Find who made bail and there is lead one to finding a potential lead to your suspect. They had to pass 1000 horses and barns to get to this one particular place…the barn attached to the house where the owners were sleeping! The cops have said they’re charging whoever did this with Occupied Burglary (Felony) and Grand Theft (Felony), so their crime lab (if equipped (if not, FDLE can do it) can test the rope that was left behind for “touch DNA.” Meaning anyone who touched the rope left their DNA on it. If they’re in the system their name will show up. (I am a cop and I know this can be done for felony cases (and certainly will be done for a high profile case like this).
What is so baffling to me, and makes me certain that this is retaliation due to the raids and not some random horse meat deal, is if they didn’t want to get caught go steal the cheap fat trail horse in the plain field. They’re everywhere. Don’t steal the expensive horse out of the highly elaborate farm attached to the house with security cameras and butcher it on the property. WHY take the chance of getting caught??? The Stevens’ are going to do everything they can to catch whoever did this, and they’re going to have the rest of the very wealthy horse community backing them. Heck the reward is already up to $30,000!!!
[QUOTE=trubandloki;8375945]
Part of me wonders if this particular horse was chosen purely because he was accessible and easy to handle. Not some huge statement, just a random choice that ended up being a big value, big name animal.[/QUOTE]
This is what I was thinking, and that someone in the quarantine facility noticed his temperment and size.
[QUOTE=Berry0317;8376251]
.
What is so baffling to me, and makes me certain that this is retaliation due to the raids and not some random horse meat deal, is if they didn’t want to get caught go steal the cheap fat trail horse in the plain field. They’re everywhere. Don’t steal the expensive horse out of the highly elaborate farm attached to the house with security cameras and butcher it on the property. WHY take the chance of getting caught??? The Stevens’ are going to do everything they can to catch whoever did this, and they’re going to have the rest of the very wealthy horse community backing them. Heck the reward is already up to $30,000!!![/QUOTE]
I am hoping that this is the murderers “mistake” – such an expensive horse from a high profile barn–its getting press and a big reward. I really hope they catch these horrible people and some serious consequence is taken against them.
[QUOTE=Berry0317;8376251]
What is so baffling to me, and makes me certain that this is retaliation due to the raids and not some random horse meat deal, is if they didn’t want to get caught go steal the cheap fat trail horse in the plain field. They’re everywhere. Don’t steal the expensive horse out of the highly elaborate farm attached to the house with security cameras and butcher it on the property. WHY take the chance of getting caught???![/QUOTE]
I do not think it is so black and white.
For starters, the quality of meat might matter. The fat back yard does nothing pony might not be the meat quality they are looking for. Marbling is good, lots of fat no muscle (no meat) is not good.
Butchering on site appears to be the norm in these cases, so that does not ring any bells here.
It really is possible that the people doing the stealing did not know they were stealing from someone with a big name.
[QUOTE=trubandloki;8376273]
I do not think it is so black and white.
For starters, the quality of meat might matter. The fat back yard does nothing pony might not be the meat quality they are looking for. Marbling is good, lots of fat no muscle (no meat) is not good.
Butchering on site appears to be the norm in these cases, so that does not ring any bells here.
It really is possible that the people doing the stealing did not know they were stealing from someone with a big name.[/QUOTE]
Really… You can’t tell the difference between a multi million dollar facility and a say, $200,000 facility? Quite a difference!!! Why take the chance in stealing a horse from a large multi million dollar facility with numerous barns/homes on it when there are many other farms and farmettes in the area that have just as nice show quality (since you didn’t like my fat trail horse) horses on them!! It doesn’t make sense!! Of course they knew they were stealing from a “big name!” Who else has farms like that? Do you see the way they (as in these criminal butchers) live???
[QUOTE=Berry0317;8376317]
Really… You can’t tell the difference between a multi million dollar facility and a say, $200,000 facility? Quite a difference!!! Why take the chance in stealing a horse from a large multi million dollar facility with numerous barns/homes on it when there are many other farms and farmettes in the area that have just as nice show quality (since you didn’t like my fat trail horse) horses on them!! It doesn’t make sense!! Of course they knew they were stealing from a “big name!” Who else has farms like that? Do you see the way they (as in these criminal butchers) live???[/QUOTE]
I was kind of thinking that also, but, at this point we are all just throwing out wild thoughts because we don’t know.
Sickening… horrid… so sorry for Steve and Debbie…
