Texas cheerleader, 17, charged with animal cruelty for fatally poisoning her rival’s show goat in ugly show of ‘jealousy’


Texas cheerleader, 17, charged with animal cruelty for fatally poisoning her rival’s show goat in ugly show of ‘jealousy’

By Caitlin McCormack Published Dec. 30, 2024, 2:26 a.m. ET A teenage cheerleader in Texas is facing felony charges after allegedly using pesticide to poison and kill a rival’s competitive show goat at their high school in an ugly show of “jealousy,” according to an arrest affidavit and the goat’s owner. Aubrey Vanlandingham, a 17-year-old senior who participated in competitive livestock shows with her own goat, reportedly confessed to deliberately poisoning the goat, named Willy, on Oct. 23, according to the affidavit obtained by CBS Austin. Security footage obtained by police showed a female student at the Vista Ridge High School’s barn facility using a drench gun to force-feed Willy a toxic pesticide. The 6-month-old goat didn’t go easy and tried to escape, but was ultimately trapped and forced to drink the pesticide, according to the footage. The student, identified by investigators as Vanlandingham, left but returned to check on Willy twice within two hours before calling her peer’s mother to let her know their goat wasn’t well. Willy died less than a day later in his owner’s arms after he was wracked by convulsions and respiratory distress.