Quarterback Sam Ehlinger #11 of the Texas Longhorns and Jarrell Owens #93 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the fourth quarter on October 27, 2018 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma.Photo:Brian Bahr/Gett
Brian Bahr/Gett
A longhorn was found dead outside of an Oklahoma State fraternity house on Friday morning.
The discovery came one day before the university is scheduled to face off with the University of Texas Longhorns in the upcoming Big 12 championship football game.
Stillwater Police Department spokesperson Terry Low told PEOPLE that the longhorn’s carcass was found in the front yard of the university’s FarmHouse fraternity at 6:39 a.m. “Once officers arrived on the scene, they confirmed that the cow was deceased and requested assistance from our Criminal Investigations Division," Low said.
Low also revealed that an investigation is currently underway, and the person responsible for the crime could face an animal cruelty charge, which is a felony.
“In my 14 years, I have never come across a crime like this,” added Low. “This is very disturbing.”
A Greek house in a Greek system at a University.Getty
Getty
TheFarmHouse Fraternity shared a statementon Facebook following the discovery, saying, “No FarmHouse member was involved in this incident and we do not condone cruelty or defacing of livestock in any manner.”
The organization said that the carcass was “branded” in “an inappropriate manner” with a phrase referencing their chapter.
The FarmHouse Fraternity at OSU was founded in 1928 and strives to “build men in the most crucial aspects of their lives and develop bonds that carry on throughout life,” according to the chapter’ssite.
Boone Pickens Stadium at Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Oklahoma,.Brian Bahr/Getty
Brian Bahr/Getty
The statement continued in an additionalpost: “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.”
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Additionally, the university’s President, Dr. Kayse Shrum, issued astatementon X about the “shocking and deeply disturbing act of animal cruelty.” She said, “We expect that authorities will prosecute this case to the full extent of the law, and we stand with the Stillwater community in condemning this reprehensible act, which in no way represents the values of our institution.”
The 9-3 OSU Cowboys are currently in second place in the Big 12 Conference. The championship face-off game will occur on Saturday at 12 p.m. at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
source: people.com
