A 17-year-old girl from Texas is facing animal cruelty charges over allegations involving the poisoning of a rival competitor’s show goat.
High school senior kills show goat
Police say Aubrey Vanlandingham reportedly used a drench gun to force-feed a pesticide to a goat named Willie. This allegedly occurred at a barn at Vista Ridge High School in Cedar Park during October.
It has been reported by KXAN that both Vanlandingham and the goat’s 15-year-old caretaker were members of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program.
Based on an affidavit acquired by several outlets, Vanlandingham confessed to deliberately poisoning the animal. Authorities claim the act was recorded via CCTV footage.
To make matters more vile, she supposedly took a video of the goat and then sent it directly to its owner, according to the affidavit.
Teenager caught on camera poisoning show goat
Surveillance footage allegedly shows Vanlandingham leaving Willie after the act but returning two separate times within a two-hour span to check on him.
She eventually contacted the rival competitor’s mother to report that the goat appeared unwell.
Tragically, Willie passed away about 21 hours later while convulsing and struggling to breathe. His teenage owner was holding him during his final moments, according to court documents.
A necropsy revealed the goat’s death was caused by organophosphate intoxication due to phosmet, a pesticide often used to manage parasites in livestock, CBS Austin reported.
Investigators allege that Vanlandingham admitted to police that her actions were intentional. She reportedly claimed that Willie’s owner was “a cheater” and revealed this was her second attempt to kill the animal.
Further evidence surfaced after police accessed the teenager’s phone history, which allegedly included searches like “how much bleach can kill an animal” and “poisoning pets, what you should know.” According to People, she also searched for ways to “clear search history.”
If found guilty of cruelty to livestock, Vanlandingham could face up to two years in jail and a fine of $10,000.
Mother claims jealousy motivated crime
The mother of the goat’s 15-year-old owner is demanding justice, telling the Daily Mail, “We were there when he passed away. My daughter was actually holding him. So that was very traumatic.”
She also said, “We don’t believe there is any remorse there. We hope that she has to serve jail time and she gets some kind of mental help.”
The grieving mother continued, “We want justice served, we don’t want a slap on the wrist. We want to make sure that she is punished.”
She pointed out that Vanlandingham and her daughter “weren’t friends,” with a three-year age gap between them, and didn’t have many interactions.
Regarding accusations of cheating, she called the claim baseless, stating, “It’s impossible to cheat when it comes to showing goats.”
“From what we’ve deciphered, she was just really jealous,” the mother added. “It makes no sense, so that’s where the jealousy really kind of falls into place.”
Jail records indicate that Vanlandingham was arrested on November 22 and has been released on a $5,000 bond. It remains unclear whether she has entered a plea, but her next court date is scheduled for January 15.
