Mike Peters
Greeley Tribune
PLATTEVILLE, Colo. — Looking for the buried body of a horse Monday in an investigation of cruelty to animals, Weld Sheriff deputies investigators dug up “multiple” bodies of horses on a farm east of Platteville.
The investigation involves Troy Beattie, who was arrested last month on investigation of cruelty charges involving 23 living horses on his farm. Beattie has not been formally charged in those cruelty cases, but his next court date is Friday.
On Monday, investigators served a search warrant for Beattie’s property, this time to look for a dead horse.
According to Deputy Shane Scofield, owners of a horse told deputies their horse was boarded on Beattie’s property recently and the horse may have died and was buried there.
Heavy equipment belonging to Weld County, including a back hoe and a crane, were brought to the site Monday to dig for the horse.
However, deputies and investigators were surprised to find the bodies of several horses. Although deputies would not release the exact number of horses they found, Scofield said it was “probably less than 10.”
They won’t know if the horses had starved to death until a veterinarian completes an examination. A veterinarian was at the site of the burial Monday afternoon.
Scofield said the horses were apparently buried within the past month. Beattie, 39, was arrested March 13.
If the veterinarian determines the other horses starved to death, more charges could be filed against Beattie.
State law indicates the charges could bring one to three years in prison for each count and fines between $100 and $100,000 for each count.
Copyright 2007 Greeley Tribune