Background: Vista Ridge High School, Cedar Park, Texas (Google Maps). Inset: Aubrey Vanlandingham (Williamson County Sheriff’s Office).
A 17-year-old girl named Aubrey Vanlandingham, from Texas, was arrested for allegedly poisoning a show goat named Willie. She had reportedly confessed to attempting to poison the animal in the past as well.
The arrest occurred on Nov. 22 after an investigation into the death of a show goat that belonged to another family. According to an arrest affidavit from the Austin American-Statesman, Vanlandingham admitted to intentionally poisoning the goat by giving it pesticide, an act captured by security cameras. She told the police that she did it because she “doesn’t like cheaters,” referring to the family who owned Willie and competed with her in a local Future Farmers of America livestock show.
The affidavit detailed several pieces of evidence that led to Vanlandingham’s arrest. One key piece was security footage from Oct. 23, which allegedly showed her entering a storage area in the FFA barn at Vista Ridge High School where the livestock was kept, and later entering the goat pen where Willie was. The cameras recorded Vanlandingham restraining the goat and administering a syringe into its mouth three times. She was then seen leaving the barn and returning twice to take photos 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.
