Two cows killed last month in a field off Savage Road in Richmond each died as a result of a single shot from an arrow, police said Tuesday.
Now police are seeking the public’s help in the ongoing investigation into what is believed to be the intentional killing of the cows by someone using a compound bow or crossbow.
Richmond police Chief Scott MacMaster on Tuesday released a photo of a pickup truck that may be connected to killing of a pair of Holsteins on Nov. 20 just outside the gate of their pasture. The cows’ owner, Daria Goggins, found the carcasses around 3:30 p.m.
MacMaster said the investigation has revealed that each of the cows died from a single shot from a crossbow or compound bow, and that both animals were shot in the chest. MacMaster said police want to talk to anyone who noticed hunters in the area using a crossbow or compound bow.
“There aren’t a whole lot of folks who venture out with crossbows,” he said.
MacMaster said the type of weapon that was used,and the fact that both animals were hit in the chest lead him to believe that the cow shootings were intentional.
Police also are looking for anyone who noticed a specific pickup truck in the area around the time of the shooting. The 2000 green Dodge 2500 has an extended cab with tinted widows in the back.
MacMaster said police are specifically interested in learning whether the truck was spotted Nov. 19 or 20 on Savage Road, Alexander Reed Road or Langdon Road.
“We’re not looking for help locating it,” MacMaster said. “We’re just looking to see if they saw it.”
He noted that the shooting occurred during the recent deer hunting season, when it is common to see vehicles left parked beside the road or in fields by hunters, but MacMaster said police want to know if “anyone remembers it specifically.”
Police continue to make progress in the case, MacMaster said, and they have identified two people of interest. “I wouldn’t call them suspects at this point,” he said.
Goggins, who is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the shooter’s arrest, has said she is convinced the killing of her animals is personal.
“It definitely was not a hunting accident. It’s a highly personal act directed at me,” she said Nov. 21. “Someone’s trying to terrorize me and sending me a message.”
Police helped Goggins find someone with heavy equipment and early Theodore and Isadora were buried in the field where they had been grazing since the summer.
MacMaster asked anyone with information about the case to call Richmond police at 737-8518.
Craig Crosby — 621-5642
Twitter: @CraigCrosby4
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