Background: Vista Ridge High School, Cedar Park, Texas (Google Maps). Inset: Aubrey Vanlandingham (Williamson County Sheriff’s Office).
A Texas teenager was arrested after being accused of allegedly poisoning a show goat named Willie — an act that she reportedly admitted to attempting once before.
The arrest of Aubrey Vanlandingham, 17, took place on Nov. 22 following an investigation into the death of a show goat belonging to another family. According to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Austin American-Statesman, Vanlandingham apparently confessed to deliberately poisoning the goat by force-feeding it pesticide, an act that was caught by security cameras. She apparently told police that she “doesn’t like cheaters,” referring to the family who owned the goat and were Vanlandingham’s competitors in a local Future Farmers of America livestock show.
The affidavit cited several pieces of evidence that were apparently Vanlandingham’s undoing, including the security camera video taken on Oct. 23 that allegedly showed her leaving a storage area inside the FFA barn at Vista Ridge High School that housed the livestock and entering the goat pen containing Willie. Cameras caught Vanlandingham allegedly restraining Willie by straddling him and forcing a syringe into his mouth three times. Vanlandingham was then seen on camera leaving the barn, only to return twice and take pictures of the goat.
The same day, the daughter of the family who owned Willie the goat reported that he was acting oddly, telling her mother that he was “shaking or convulsing and not acting right.” The mother later observed Willie having convulsions and took him to the vet. Police said that the vet could not figure out what was wrong. On Oct. 24, the daughter heard Willie in the barn “bellowing in pain.” She rushed to his aid, but according to police, Willie died in her arms.
The painful death of Willie the goat came 21 hours after the time Vanlandingham was seen on camera forcing poison down his throat.
KEYE, a local CBS affiliate, reported that the affidavit included Vanlandingham’s search history, which alleged that she was searching for ways to poison animals, possibly with bleach. She also allegedly searched “How to clear search history.”
While the police had the full cooperation of the Leander Independent School District — which provided a statement to the Austin American-Statesman that said “disciplinary action was taken consistent with policy and procedures” against Vanlandingham — it was reportedly the suspect herself who provided the most.
According to the affidavit, Vanlandingham not only confessed to the Oct. 23 poisoning, she admitted that she had tried to kill the goat once before on Oct. 20. She also accused the daughter of the family who owned Willie of being a “cheater,” and told police that she “doesn’t like cheaters.”
A necropsy was ordered on Willie the goat on Nov. 6, and it revealed that the contents of his stomach contained phosmet, a commonly used agricultural pesticide.
Vanlandingham was charged with felony cruelty to livestock animals and booked at the Williamson County Jail. She was released on $5,000 bond and is set to appear in court again on Jan. 15.
