E-mail
PrintThis crime is, quite literally, a cash cow for criminals. Now it’s a problem for Boone County, too.
The county’s first cattle theft of the year happened sometime between Thursday night and Friday morning near Route B and Mt. Zion Church Road, said Sgt. Mike Stubbs of the Boone County Sheriff’s Department.
“It’s pretty easy pickings,” Stubbs said.
Stubbs said cattle theft is on the rise, particularly in the Springfield area. The animals can be stolen using a trailer and quickly sold at mid-Missouri’s many sale barns, Stubbs said.
Whatever the reason for the increase, the motive’s always the same:
“It’s for the money,” Stubbs said.
The 21 head of cattle taken in the Boone County incident had been corralled by their owner in preparation for sale at an auction, Stubbs said.
He said there were no leads or suspects in the case as of early Friday evening.
Cattle theft is difficult to investigate, Stubbs said, and investigators must rely on traditional means of finding evidence — such as looking for tire marks or trailer paint left from a trailer backing into a post on the farm — and special identification the cattle have, such as brands or eartags.
Boone County officials will also be in touch with a cattle theft task force established by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Stubbs said.
The investigation was ongoing early Friday evening.
Show Me the Errors 
Comments