Cattle starved, 60 found dead
Wartrace, TN (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Feb 11, 2010
County: Bedford
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 2 files available
Alleged: John Darron Thomas
Case Updates: 5 update(s) available
Multiple counts of aggravated animal cruelty are pending against a Wartrace man who authorities say has starved his cattle.
However, the man accused claims that his cows were shot after he filed a $6 million federal lawsuit against the sheriff and three deputies.
John Darron Thomas of Clyde Gleaves Road is to be charged today [Feb 11, 2010] with 60 counts of aggravated animal cruelty and not disposing of the dead animals properly.
Thomas was arrested last night on unspecified state charges, but is currently free on $25,000 bond.
According to Sheriff Randall Boyce, as of Thursday morning, over 60 cows have been found dead on one piece of property and he believed that more will die.
Boyce said that authorities in Coffee County informed officials at the Bedford County Sheriff's Department about dead cattle in their jurisdiction on Thomas' land and wondered if that was the case in this county.
Upon investigating the claims, Boyce said that his deputies reported that 21 carcasses were visible from the road on Tuesday.
"When you can see that many lying there, you know something's wrong," Boyce said. "They were lying everywhere."
Boyce also said that many of the cows appeared starved and how many counts of cruelty Thomas will ultimately face will depend on how many starved animals they find.
The Thomas property, consisting of four farms, extends into both Bedford and Coffee Counties and he faces the same charges in Coffee County as well.
Around 150 head of cattle were found at one farm, but Boyce said there is no way to tell how many may be spread out on the 3,000 acres that Thomas uses. Some estimates placed the herd's count at 800 head.
Owner: Cattle were shot
However, Thomas claims that someone has been shooting his cows and he requested autopsies be done on six of the cattle, telling reporters Wednesday evening that his veterinarian, Dr. Jerry Hackett, informed him that they had been shot.
But reports from Dr. Bruce McLaughlin of the C.E. Kord Animal Disease Laboratory in Nashville stated that the cattle had no evidence of trauma and that "findings include severe dehydration and severe emaciation."
Coffee County authorities got hold of the results and passed them along to Bedford County investigators this week.
Investigators also spent a good part of Wednesday preparing the search warrants for all property Thomas is using and having them approved by Circuit Court Judge Robert Crigler.
Property inspected
Members of the Sheriff's Department, criminal investigators from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and the county's animal control director, Michael Gregory, went to the Thomas property about 4 p.m. Wednesday to serve the search warrants and check on the condition of the cattle.
Thomas arrived a few minutes after officials served the warrants and told assembled news media that his cows were shot after he filed a federal lawsuit late last week against the county, the Sheriff's Department, Boyce and Deputies Benjamin Burris, Kent Jacobs and Kevin Roddy.
He claims that he has been pulled over approximately 20 times with no convictions and that deputies have harassed and kidnapped him.
Thomas repeatedly claimed that the cows had been shot, but the cattle observed by the T-G were apparently malnourished and the muddy field where they were kept contained no hay or grass. A trailer full of hay and feed sat on the road outside the property, but the cows could not approach it.
Thomas also denied that the cows had starved, even when asked about the results of Dr. McLaughlin's report. He said there was never trouble with the livestock until the suit was filed.
However, Thomas currently has several counts of livestock running at large in General Sessions Court at this time.
Pending lawsuit
The federal suit claims that on June 25, 2008, Thomas was followed by Jacobs, who was off duty, to a piece of property where Thomas kept cattle.
Boyce said Wednesday that Jacobs observed Thomas "running people off the road" and requested that an officer conduct a traffic stop on Thomas.
Thomas claims in his suit that he was not in sight of the road when he was arrested for DUI by Burris and Roddy, but Boyce said that Thomas was still in sight of the road and in control of his vehicle.
Boyce said that Thomas was "slumped over the wheel" in his vehicle and wouldn't respond to officers.
When Thomas exited the vehicle, "he was staggering around so bad, they couldn't do a field sobriety test on him," Boyce claims.
Boyce explained that Thomas had no alcohol in him, but he was on medication. But when the case went before a judge from Lincoln County, Boyce said that it was dismissed due to uncertain toxicology results.
Thomas claims in his suit that the county officers have conspired to arrest him and caused false imprisonment for retribution for his interfering with the relationship of Jacobs and his girlfriend.
But Boyce said that "other things will come to light when we go to court" in the suit.
Efforts to reach Thomas' attorney, Thomas J. Henderickson, III, for comment were unsuccessful by press time Thursday morning.
State was aware
Mike Whaley, criminal investigator for the state's department of agriculture said Wednesday evening that they had already spoken to Thomas about the disposal of dead cattle last week.
"We gave him a week to dispose of them, and I had no idea there were that many out here," he said. "He's got a lot of property, so there's no telling how many is dead."
Whaley said he had counted 20 carcasses since arriving on the Thomas property late Wednesday afternoon. He stressed that his department only handles issues like livestock running at large and disposal of remains.
But Boyce said the problem his department is facing now is how to care for 800 head of cattle. Calls went out to area farmers from the sheriff Wednesday night for help to feed the massive herd.
Thursday morning, Boyce was on his way to a meeting with the Tennessee Farm Bureau to find out how they can keep the animals fed. Other humane organizations from around the country have offered help as well, Boyce explained, and a number of local farmers have already donated hay.
Boyce also stressed that the conditions at the Thomas property were "not normal" and is "a very extreme situation."
"We take care of animals here in Bedford County and I have never seen cattle like this," Boyce said.
Case UpdatesJohn Darron Thomas now faces an additional 621 counts of animal cruelty after investigators completed their tally of dead and starved cattle discovered last month.
Meanwhile, Thomas' bond was revoked Thursday after a court-ordered drug test revealed the presence of OxyContin.
Thomas now faces a total of 722 counts of animal cruelty, according to Detective Todd Hammond of Bedford County Sheriff's Department.
He was originally charged with 102 counts of animal cruelty, and the new charges include the "dead, alive, starving and the ones that had to be put down because the vet determined their condition to be non-recoverable," Hammond explained.
Also, 25 cows had to be destroyed, Hammond said, "because they couldn't even stand up," and an additional 36 head were found dead on the Thomas property during the search of the land. Another 23 cows died after they were removed from the property.
A total of 555 live cows were removed from Thomas' land, as well as 20 burros, and all of those animals were starved, Hammond said.
"Every one of them [was] so hungry, there wasn't enough feed to go around," the detective explained. "Even after we were feeding them roll after roll (of hay), they were all over it."
Hammond explained that the charges against Thomas were reduced to animal cruelty instead of aggravated animal cruelty, which applies to dogs and cat, but not livestock.
"This is probably the largest case of animal abuse in the state," Hammond guessed.
Mike Whaley of the Tennessee Agricultural Crime Unit agreed with Hammond, saying this is the worst case he's ever seen in his career.
Whaley's job is checking into farm crimes like wildfire arson, livestock theft and criminal activities on state forest lands, as well as enforcing the rules relating to the import of animals and animal diseases. He has been with the crime unit for eight years and the Department of Agriculture for 24 years.
"As long as I've been doing this, it's the worst one I've ever seen," Whaley stated.
He also said he's sure that the case involves the most warrants he's ever written for not properly disposing of animal remains, which now totals 138 counts.
Also, Whaley noted that he is still finding remains on the Thomas property, saying that a total of 15 bone piles have been discovered.
Even though those cattle may have died years ago, the remains were still not properly disposed of and Thomas could face additional state charges as a result, Whaley explained.
Whaley's jurisdiction with the agriculture crime unit covers Bedford, Coffee, Franklin, Giles, Grundy, Lawrence, Lincoln, Maury, Marshall, Moore and Warren County.
On Thursday, Thomas appeared before Circuit Court Judge Lee Russell to have a disposition date set for a number of other charges that he was indicted for by the Bedford County grand jury last month.
He has been charged with two counts of DUI, three counts of animals running at large, failure to appear, theft under $500 for allegedly shoplifting from Walmart and theft over $10,000 related to the alleged theft of lumber.
Russell set a date of April 1 for Thomas to make a plea or have a trial date set on the charges. But Russell then ordered Thomas to surrender his driver's license since he is facing two DUI counts.
Thomas' attorney, Michael Flanagan of Nashville, made a motion for a hearing on surrendering the license, which has been set for March 19.
However, Russell then stated that Thomas appeared to be "under the influence" in the courtroom and ordered him to take a drug test consisting of a urine sample.
The court took a brief recess and when the proceeding continued, probation officer Alex Eskew testified that a field test of the sample revealed two medications that Thomas had prescriptions for.
But the drug test also revealed the presence of OxyContin, a pain killer which Thomas did not have a prescription for, and as a result, Judge Russell revoked his $1,079,500 bond.
Thomas was taken into custody and Flanagan requested that a blood test be performed, which was done right after Thomas left the courthouse.
Thomas also faces counts of animal cruelty and animals running at large in Coffee County and has a court date of April 6 set in that case.
Deputies in that county had been responding to a number of reports of cattle running at large since November 2009 and that carcasses were recently disposed of by Griffin Industries. | Source: Times-Gazette - Mar 8, 2010
Update posted on Mar 8, 2010 - 4:33PM |
A man facing a number of animal cruelty counts (see related story) was indicted Monday by the Bedford County grand jury on other charges.
John Darron Thomas, 43, was indicted on two counts of DUI, three counts of animals running at large, failure to appear, theft under $500 for allegedly shoplifting from Walmart and theft over $10,000 related to the alleged theft of lumber.
Thomas appeared briefly in court with his attorney, Thomas J. Henderickson, III, of Nashville and pleaded not guilty. He is currently free on bonds totaling $1,079,500 and he will appear next in Circuit Court on March 4. | Source: Times-Gazette - Feb 23, 2010
Update posted on Feb 23, 2010 - 8:02PM |
Authorities are finishing up the task of rounding up the remaining live and dead cattle from farmland outside of Wartrace, which may result in 500 to 600 counts of aggravated animal cruelty against the man said to be responsible for the herd.
John Darron Thomas 43, of Clyde Gleaves Road, who was charged nearly two weeks ago with animal cruelty after deputies discovered dead and starved cattle on his farm, faces more counts as soon as the final tally is completed.
According to Sheriff Randall Boyce, only two cows remain to be caught, with deputies taking away 13 live head on Monday that they had trapped.
Over 600 live cattle have now been found and rounded up, Boyce said.
Boyce said they still don't have an exact count of how many dead cattle have been found, but he estimated the number to be between 160 and 170 fresh carcasses. He said he would have an exact count later in the week.
The sheriff also said that three semi trailer loads of dead cattle have been removed so far from the Thomas property.
An additional 47 carcasses were in the process of being loaded on Monday by Griffin Industries with the assistance of volunteers, neighbors, deputies and inmate labor, Boyce explained.
Depends on condition
Boyce said that cows were not the only animals found. About 50 donkeys were taken from the property as well, which the sheriff also described as starved, as well as the carcass of one donkey.
Thomas already faces a number of charges in Circuit Court after his indictment on Monday (see related story), but the animal cruelty charges, which could number as many as 500 to 600, Boyce said, will go through General Session Court first.
Boyce explained that the body weight of the live cattle will be checked, and "anything below a certain score ... it will be considered animal cruelty too, plus the exact number of the dead."
The sheriff estimated that about 75 to 100 live head won't be included in the cruelty charges, but also said that Thomas could face as many 670 counts of cruelty.
Boyce said that a judicial commissioner will begin filing warrants in the case as soon as a final count is reached.
But those charges will not include any counts that will be filed by the state department of agriculture for not properly disposing of the dead cattle, Boyce said.
Boyce explained that Thomas, who is currently free on $1,079,500 bond, will likely have to make another bond once the new charges are filed.
Other charges
Warrants out of Coffee County for six counts of animal cruelty state that deputies in that county have been responding to a number of reports of cattle running at large since November 2009 and that carcasses were recently disposed of by Griffin Industries.
An autopsy on the remains stated that the cattle were severely dehydrated and emaciated.
Boyce explained last week that Thomas has already been told to keep the cattle off the roads near his land or they would be taken from him.
Thomas told the Associated Press last week that he knows of only 21 dead cattle, claiming that deputies are counting the bones of long-dead animals on the 1,600 acres where his family has raised cattle since the 1960s.
But Boyce repeated Monday that deputies have been discovering entire carcasses, not bones, with some of the remains found only being a month old at the most.
New autopsy reports were also returned to authorities last week on the remains of 11 cows from the Thomas property that state they all died of starvation, Boyce said.
The sheriff said that all of the carcasses inspected by veterinarians were those of yearlings -- not older cows that would have died of natural causes.
Thomas has claimed that his cows were shot after he filed a $6 million federal lawsuit against the county, the Sheriff's Department, Boyce and Deputies Ben Burris, Kent Jacobs and Kevin Roddy.
He claims that he has been pulled over approximately 20 times with no convictions and that deputies have harassed and kidnapped him.
The federal suit filed by Thomas claims that the county officers have conspired to arrest him and caused false imprisonment for retribution for his interfering with the relationship of Jacobs and his girlfriend.
Thomas repeatedly denied two weeks ago that his cows had been starved, even when asked about the results of autopsies Thomas himself requested for the cattle, which stated the cows were severely dehydrated and emaciated. | Source: Times-Gazette - Feb 23, 2010
Update posted on Feb 23, 2010 - 8:02PM |
Snow has hampered the search for the remains of a cattle herd authorities claim have been starved, while more live cows are being cared for.
Meanwhile, the man sheriff's officials say is responsible for the dead animals is free on bonds totalling over $1 million and new autopsy results have confirmed the cause of death to be starvation.
John Darron Thomas, 43, of Clyde Gleaves Road is facing an unknown number of animal cruelty counts, not disposing of the animal remains properly and three counts of animals running at large.
Thomas posted bonds late Friday totaling $1,079,500.
How many cows?
According to Bedford County Sheriff Randall Boyce, the final number of cruelty counts against Thomas will depend on how many starved and dead cattle they ultimately discover.
Boyce said if a cow is found to have a normal body weight, Thomas won't face charges for the condition of the animal.
"We don't know how many counts there will be until all of them (the cattle) are found," Boyce said
So far, the remains of around 130 cows have been found on Thomas' property and the sheriff believes that count will climb even higher.
"We are finding more everywhere," Boyce said, explaining that the recent snowfall has hidden the carcasses from sight over the past two days.
As of Tuesday, about 500 head had been gathered and they are currently being fed and cared for, but some of the herd, numbering close to 100, are still roaming on the property and Boyce said they are in the process of getting them penned up.
Boyce said that the remaining herd are "so wild, they get away from us."
The sheriff said his department have been getting help from the state, the Bedford County Humane Association, the Tennessee Farm Bureau and the Tennessee's Beef Producers.
Boyce said that it appeared that Thomas had simply stopped feeding the herd.
No bones
The sheriff also disputed a claim Thomas made on Monday about the remains found on his property.
Thomas told the Associated Press by phone that he knows of only 21 dead cattle, claiming that deputies are counting the bones of long-dead animals on the 1,600 acres where his family has raised cattle since the 1960s.
But the sheriff said that deputies have been discovering entire carcasses, not bones, with some of the remains found only being a month old at the most.
New autopsy reports have also been returned to authorities on the remains of 11 cows from the Thomas property that state they all died of starvation, Boyce said.
The sheriff said that all of the carcasses inspected by veterinarians were that of yearlings -- not older cows that would have died of natural causes.
Thomas claimed last week that his cows were shot after he filed a $6 million federal lawsuit against the county, the Sheriff's Department, Sheriff Boyce and Deputies Ben Burris, Kent Jacobs and Kevin Roddy.
He claims that he has been pulled over approximately 20 times with no convictions and that deputies have harassed and kidnapped him.
But Boyce also said Monday that none of the cattle they have examined had been shot as Thomas has claimed.
Thomas repeatedly denied last Wednesday that his cows had been starved, even when asked about the results of autopsies Thomas himself requested for the cattle, which stated the cows were severely dehydrated and emaciated.
The federal suit filed by Thomas claims that the county officers have conspired to arrest him and caused false imprisonment for retribution for his interfering with the relationship of Jacobs and his girlfriend.
Boyce explained Tuesday that Thomas has already been told to keep the cattle off the roads near his land or they would be taken from him.
During a three-hour preliminary hearing for Thomas on Friday, neighbor Randy Webb testified that he has called deputies 70 times over the past year about Thomas' cattle roaming in his yard.
He stated the cattle are hungry, "which is why they are there all the time," and have ruined his landscaping and damaged vehicles on his property.
Webb also said the cows are on his land "every day" and that Thomas has never denied ownership when he would retrieve them.
However, Thomas' attorney, Carla Ford of Murfreesboro, told the T-G on Friday that the cows in question did not belong to her client, but are owned by his father Claude Thomas, and that John is "helping to take care of them."
Thomas was bound over to the county grand jury on two counts of DUI, three counts of animals running at large, failure to appear, theft under $500 for allegedly shoplifting from Walmart and theft over $10,000 related to the alleged theft of lumber. The grand jury meets on Feb. 22.
He was placed on bonds totalling $79,500 and was released, but was ordered not to have any contact with potential witnesses in the case, many of which are his neighbors.
The $1 million dollar bond was later added for the charges related to the alleged cruelty. | Source: Times-Gazette - Feb 17, 2010
Update posted on Feb 23, 2010 - 7:59PM |
More animal cruelty charges are expected to be filed against a Wartrace man as investigators continue to search for starved cattle.
John Darron Thomas of Clyde Gleaves Road may be facing up to 300 counts of aggravated animal cruelty after members of the Bedford County Sheriff's Department said they discovered more cattle carcasses on his property. Deputies were on the land again Saturday.
Meanwhile, Thomas' legal troubles continued to mount Friday as he was served with warrants out of Coffee County for six counts of animal cruelty.
He was taken into custody and appeared for a preliminary hearing, where he was bound over to the Bedford County grand jury on other charges unrelated to the cruelty matter.
Authorities executed search warrants on Wednesday on Thomas' property to check on reports of dead and dying cattle on four farms he owns.
Bedford County Sheriff Randall Boyce told the T-G Friday that 102 dead cows have now been found on Thomas' land.
"It's probably going to rise above that," Boyce said.
The sheriff also said Friday afternoon that Judicial Commissioner Terry Stacy was in the process of signing some 300 warrants on Thomas for cruelty and not properly disposing of the dead animals.
Boyce also said that if the dead cattle they found had been abused, "then the live ones with the bones sticking out have definitely been abused."
The sheriff said there could be as many as 500 to 600 head on the Thomas property or on land he rents and more were discovered Friday afternoon. Boyce said that county agriculture experts were to take a look at them "to see just how bad they are."
Local farmers have been donating hay to keep the cattle fed, and Chief Deputy David Williams Jr. said that the sheriff's department has now been getting calls from concerned residents about other cattle on property leased by Thomas.
Bound over
Thomas' bond was revoked due to the new charges against him and the court granted permission for authorities to put control of the cattle under the Bedford County Humane Association and their agents, which includes the local livestock association and the Tennessee Farm Bureau.
District Attorney General Chuck Crawford said that while he is no expert on the care of livestock, some of the cows may be so weak that they can't be moved.
The preliminary hearings for Thomas on Friday was heard by Lincoln County Judge Andy Myrick, since General Sessions Court Judge Charles Rich has recused himself from Thomas' cases.
At a three-hour preliminary hearing Thomas was bound over to the county grand jury on two counts of DUI, three counts of animals running at large, failure to appear, theft under $500 and theft over $10,000. The grand jury meets on Feb. 22.
He was placed on bonds totalling $79,500 and was released, but he was ordered not to have any contact with potential witnesses in the case, many of which are his neighbors.
One of his neighbors, Randy Webb, testified that he has called deputies 70 times over the past year about Thomas' cattle roaming in his yard. He stated the cattle are hungry, "which is why they are there all the time," and have ruined his landscaping and damaged vehicles on his property.
Webb also said the cows are on his land "every day" and that Thomas have never denied ownership when he would retrieve them.
Not his cows
Thomas' attorney, Carla Ford of Murfreesboro, told the T-G that the cows in question did not belong to her client, but are owned by his father Claude Thomas, and that John is "helping to take care of them."
Thomas claims that his cows were shot after he filed a $6 million federal lawsuit late last week against the county, the Sheriff's Department, Sheriff Randall Boyce and Deputies Burris, Kent Jacobs and Kevin Roddy.
He claims that he has been pulled over approximately 20 times with no convictions and that deputies have harassed and kidnapped him.
Thomas repeatedly denied on Wednesday that his cows had been starved, even when asked about the results of autopsies Thomas requested for the cattle, which stated the cows were severely dehydrated and emaciated.
The federal suit filed by Thomas claims that the county officers have conspired to arrest him and caused false imprisonment for retribution for his interfering with the relationship of Jacobs and his girlfriend.
However, Sheriff Boyce said Wednesday that "other things will come to light when we go to court" in the suit. | Source: Times-Gazette - Feb 14, 2010
Update posted on Feb 23, 2010 - 7:58PM |
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