UPDATE 10/30/06 - Next court appearance will be December 12th, 2006.
-------------------------
Two Reagan, TN men accused of killing a pony and a horse last winter were arraigned Monday, October 30, 2006, in Henderson County Circuit Court on charges of theft of property, aggravated cruelty to animals and spotlighting deer.
Kevin Paul Bailey, 32, and Skeeter Joe Harmon, 26, were arrested in December 2005 and were indicted this month by the grand jury. Each has been released on $10,000 bond. Their next court appearance has been set for 8:30 a.m. Dec. 12, Circuit Court officials said.
For the rest of the story, SEE:Indictments follow 2005 horse, pony shootings-------------------------------------------------------------
10/23/2006For more Update Information, see the Forum for this case:
Henderson County, Tennessee - Update on the Horse & Pony Murder-------------------------------------------------------------
12/09/2005Two men are being held in the Henderson County Jail after allegedly killing a pony and a horse by shooting them multiple times December 9, 2005. They then dragged the pony's body for about two miles from an area behind the owners' Reagan home, authorities said.
Kevin Paul Bailey, 32, and Skeeter Joe Harmon, 26, both of Reagan, are facing charges of theft of livestock over $500, which is a felony charge. No court date has been set.
According to Capt. Mike Murray, with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Crime Unit, Bailey and Harmon were spotlighting deer when they were stopped by agents of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. "TWRA agents stopped them and issued them citations," Murray said.
An investigation conducted by the TWRA, the Henderson County Sheriff's Department and TDACU determined that the suspects shot a male pony, Murray said. After the 10-year-old pony was killed, it was dragged along a black-top road and dumped into a creek, he said.
Celia Barrow, the pony and horse's owner, said she was told that the creek contained several dead deer. Barrow and her husband, James, were told that their horses were loose, but could not find them. "My husband went looking for them and stopped looking around 10 p.m.," Celia Barrow said. "My husband started looking early on December 10, 2005 around 7 a.m. and met up with a game warden."
The agent took James Barrow to the creek, where Barrow identified the pony as his.
"He had been shot two to three times in the body and once in the head," Celia Barrow said. "I just don't understand why (this happened)." Barrow also said she couldn't understand why the pony was alone and not with their 10-year-old female Palomino horse, which was still missing.
"They were inseparable. The Palomino really protected that pony."
The Palomino eventually was found dead later Saturday, shot numerous times. Celia Barrow said the horse bled to death.
Barrow was told that four children had been with the suspects when they killed the pony and horse, and she said that she was concerned about them and about her daughter and grandchildren, to whom the horse and pony belonged. "We are very concerned abut the children who witnessed this grisly crime and the lack of compassion that was showed to vulnerable animals," Barrow said. "My daughter and grandchildren are devastated."
See:
Pet-Abuse.comJacksonSun.com