Goat stolen, beaten to death with hammer
Connellsville, PA (US)Incident Date: Friday, Dec 24, 2004
County: Fayette
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged:
» Charles W. Smith, Sr.
» Charles W. Smith, Jr.
» James Walter Albright
» Gilbert Wesley Fisch
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
Four Connellsville men were charged with theft, receiving stolen property, criminal conspiracy and cruelty to animals after a bizarre incident in which butchered meat was traded for crack cocaine, state police said.
Charles W. Smith Sr., 48, Charles W. Smith Jr., 20, both of 334 Breakiron Road, James Walter Albright, 37, of 291 Swink Hill Road and Gilbert Wesley Fisch, 38, of 270 Rear Dry Hill Lane were charged before Magisterial District Judge Robert Breakiron Tuesday in connection with the incident.
According to police reports, the four men stole a 4-year-old Pygmy goat owned by Laura and Robert Locke from their Englishman Hill Road home Christmas Eve 2004.
Police said Albright removed the animal from its pen with some rope and then dragged it to a patch of woods, tying it to a shrub.
There, police said, Albright and Smith Jr. beat the animal to death with a hammer.
The goat was then taken to Smith's residence and butchered and skinned by Fisch and Smith Sr., police said. The four men then traded the butchered goat to a local drug dealer for crack cocaine.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, a local drug dealer known only as "Smalls" wanted the goat meat to feed to his pit bulls which he breeds and fights.
Case UpdatesWhile some counts were dismissed in preliminary hearings before Magisterial District Judge Robert Breakiron, of Bullskin Township, most charges were upheld against James Walter Albright, 38, ; Charles Smith Sr., 48, and Charles Smith Jr., 20; and Gilbert Wesley Fisch, 38, all of Bullskin Township. They are accused of conspiring to steal and butcher a pygmy goat named Chloe.
State police Trooper James Pierce investigated the Christmas Eve disappearance of Chloe from the Englishman Hill Road farm in Bullskin Township.
Theft, receiving stolen property, cruelty to animals and conspiracy charges were held for court against Albright.
Pierce said Albright told troopers the scheme to steal the goat was hatched after Charles Smith Sr. told his friends that someone wanted goat meat and would exchange money or drugs to get it.
According to Pierce, Albright said he went to the Locke farm and took the pet goat from the barn and then returned to the Smith home. Charles W. Smith Jr. and his brother then got a pipe to kill the animal, Albright said.
"I was supposed to get money or dope for getting the goat, but I didn't get either," Albright said in his statement.
The judge dismissed a charge of cruelty to animals against Fisch because the goat was already dead when he butchered it. A charge of conspiracy to receive stolen property was held for court.
During a combined hearing for the Smiths, a nephew and cousin of the two men, Edward Smith Jr., testified that he gave police a false statement.
According to Pierce, Edward Smith Jr. had claimed that Charles Smith Jr. admitted in a phone call to beating the goat and said Albright dragged it to his home.
But yesterday, Edward Smith Jr. said neither his cousin nor his uncle had any involvement in the crime.
Breakiron affirmed all charges against Smith Jr., including receiving stolen property, cruelty to animals and criminal conspiracy to commit theft.
A charge of conspiracy to commit animal cruelty against Smith Sr. was dismissed, but two other conspiracy charges relating to theft and receiving stolen property were upheld.
The Smiths remain free in lieu of $15,000 unsecured bond, while Albright and Fisch remained jailed in lieu of $20,000 percentage and $5,000 percentage bonds, respectively.
Court arraignments for all four are set for July 21. | Source: pittsburghlive.com - June 15, 2005
Update posted on Jun 15, 2005 - 8:46AM |
A Connellsville-area man, among four charged with killing a pygmy goat and trading its meat for crack cocaine, has been arrested. Gilbert Wesley Fisch, 38, of 270 Rear Dry Hill Lane, Bullskin Township, initially was charged on March 1 for his alleged role in the incident. He failed to respond to the charges, however, and an arrest warrant was issued by Magisterial District Judge Robert Breakiron, of Bullskin Township.
Fisch was taken into custody Wednesday and arraigned before Breakiron on charges of criminal conspiracy to commit receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy to commit cruelty to animals.
He remains in Fayette County Prison in lieu of $5,000 bond.
Fisch was one of four men who allegedly took a 4-year-old pygmy goat the morning of Dec. 24 from Laura and Robert Locke's property at 508 Englishman Hill Road, Bullskin Township.
Also charged were Charles W. Smith, 48, and Charles W. Smith Jr., 20, both of 334 Breakiron Road, and James Walter Albright, 37, of 291 Swink Road.
State police at Uniontown said Albright removed the goat from a pen with a piece of rope, dragged it to a patch of woods and tied it to a shrub.
Albright and Smith Jr. allegedly beat the animal to death by striking it on the head with a steel pipe.
Police said the goat was taken to the Smith residence, where it was skinned by Fisch and the elder Smith. According to witnesses, the meat was traded to a local drug dealer for crack cocaine.
A pygmy goat is smaller than the traditional dairy goat. They usually range in height from 16 to 23 inches at the shoulder and weigh 40-80 pounds.
A preliminary hearing for the four is scheduled at 10:45 a.m. April 26 before Breakiron. | Source: Tribune-Review - March 18, 2005
Update posted on Mar 21, 2005 - 6:19AM |
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