It’s baa-d situation. A teenage cheerleader in Texas has been charged with a felony after allegedly poisoning and killing a rival’s competitive show goat using pesticide.
Videos by Suggest
According to court records, 17-year-old Aubrey Vanlandingham has been charged with felony cruelty to livestock animals.
Per an arrest affidavit obtained by People, police allege that Vanlandingham used a drench gun to force-feed pesticide to a goat named Willie. The incident reportedly took place in October at her high school’s barn in Cedar Park, Texas.
According to the affidavit, Vanlandingham allegedly recorded a video of the goat and sent it to its owner. The six-month-old goat put up a struggle, attempting to escape. However, Willie was eventually captured and made to consume the pesticide, as reportedly shown in the footage.
The goat reportedly died the following day after experiencing convulsions and severe respiratory distress. Per the affidavit, a necropsy revealed that the animal’s death was caused by pesticide poisoning.
Authorities claim that Vanlandingham admitted to killing the goat, stating she did so because she believed the animal’s owner’s daughter was a “cheater.” The teenager also allegedly confessed to a prior attempt to harm the goat.
The Alleged Teen Goat Killer’s Phone Reportedly Revealed Some Telling Searches
Meanwhile, reportedly, Vanlandingham is far, far from a criminal mastermind.
Some of these not-at-all-telling searches allegedly included: “How much bleach can kill an animal,” and “poisoning pets, what you should know,” per the affidavit.
In a masterstroke of genius, the cheerleader also supposedly searched “How to clear search history.”
It remains unclear whether Vanlandingham has entered a plea. According to jail records, she was released after posting a $5,000 bond.
Meanwhile, the mother of Willie’s 15-year-old owner recently opened up about the incident.
“She admitted to poisoning him multiple times over several days. So it’s a pretty rough situation. 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,” they told The Daily Mail.
However, the mother worries the teen will sidestep justice.
“It’s all bizarre,” she added. “We want justice served; we don’t want a slap on the wrist. We want to make sure that she is punished. At this point, we don’t feel like she thinks she’s going to be punished, and she needs to be. She needs to take ownership for what she’s done.”
If found guilty, Vanlandingham faces a potential prison sentence of up to two years. In the meantime, she has been prohibited from returning to her high school while the case remains under investigation.
The teen is scheduled to appear in court on January 15.