On Friday, December 1, 2023, Oklahoma State University woke up to find an animal carcass at the entrance of its FarmHouse fraternity. The four suspects arrested over the incident have now been charged in court.
Andrew King, 19, Bennet Fady, 20, Brody Shelby, 19, and Luke Ackerley, 19, will face misdemeanor charges for unlawful carcass disposal. The University community woke up to the dead animal, a longhorn, the day before a Big 12 championship football game.
The game was between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the University of Texas Longhorns. The animal came branded with obscenities aimed at the Oklahoma State University fraternity.
The animal’s stomach was found cut open with the words “f*ck FH” written on the side. The University immediately released a statement condemning the incident.
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“Oklahoma State University is appalled at the disturbing display of animal cruelty that occurred overnight at an off-campus location near a fraternity house.” “As a chapter founded on principles driven by our agricultural roots, we’re just as sickened and surprised by this incident as our peers on campus,” the statement also read.
“It is disheartening to see the disregard for proper animal welfare and treatment displayed by this situation,” the statement continued. “Oklahoma State expects all students to adhere to university codes of conduct, and appropriate action will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation.”
The four men in the eye of the storm are all members of Alpha Gamma Rho, another Oklahoma State fraternity jostling for supremacy. Before the incident, the Stillwater Police had their eyes on the fraternity after they had received reports of a developing prank war.
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Social media had been buzzing with stories of the fraternities’ escalating rivalry. Police most likely also had some help from students who volunteered information about the incident.
The necropsy results showed that the animal died after suffering from a “natural disease process.” The police are awaiting further information regarding the animal’s time of death, cause of death, and possible indications of animal cruelty.
A cop divulged to the press that there were tire tracks of a truck or trailer across the lawn. This discovery helped police to know what kind of vehicle conveyed the carcass.
The Longhorns secured an easy win against Texas Tech before the incident. They had trounced their opponents 57-7 to clinch a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game.
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The game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys was set to be held at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The suspects have been bonded out on their own recognizance and are expected to appear in court on March 11.
Many called for heavy punishment for the erring students in response to the school’s statement on its X (formerly Twitter) page. One comment read, “No excuse me!!! Abuse of an animal is unacceptable!! The whole house should be expelled! Just Gross…”
Another comment ruled out animal cruelty. “There is no blood. That’s a cow from a freezer… That’s not animal cruelty, but it is a waste of good beef!” In any case, the courts will decide in March.
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