Horses' Remains Found in Florida

Authorities are seeking whoever butchered two horses and left their remains at a roadside in Lee County, Florida.

 

Lieutenant Scott Lineberger, public information officer for the Lee County Sheriff's Office, said deputies responded to a call from passersby who found the remains at a Lehigh Acres roadside on March 18. Deputies from the sheriff's agricultural crimes unit also responded to the incident, he said.

 

Lineberger said all the meat had been removed from the horses' bones with only the rib cages remaining; the remains suggested the horses were dismembered in a way consistent with slaughter, he added.

 

“Whoever did this knew what he was doing,” Lineberger said.

 

Since 2009 the remains of more than 50 horses presumably slaughtered for meat have been found in Florida, mostly in Miami-Dade County. Under Florida law, it is illegal to sell, trade, transport, or possess horsemeat intended for human consumption. It is not illegal for an individual to slaughter a horse for his own use. This is the first incident Lineberger recalls as having taken place in Lee County.

 

Lineberger said deputies are investigating the incident. If caught, those responsible could be charged with inappropriate disposal of a livestock carcass.

 

“Because the remains are less than 500 pounds, it's a misdemeanor charge,” Lineberger said.

 

As the probe continues, investigators hope state and federal authorities can assist with the case.

 

“We have contacted the Florida Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to see if there are other laws under which we could charge someone with this,” Lineberger said