Man sentenced for death of two horses in Vernon

VERNON, Texas (KAUZ) - A man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for the offense of criminal mischief with a firearm which caused the death of two horses at a ranch on the outskirts of Vernon.

Trenton Ray Wilson of Amarillo was sentenced by 46th Judicial District Judge Dan Mike Bird after entering his guilty plea on Wednesday afternoon.

The horse’s owner had stopped to check in on the animals on July 22, 2021 when he saw signs of forced entry into a camper on his property, according to 46th Judicial District Attorney J. Staley Heatly. The man realized a shotgun was missing from the camper, and then found one of his horses dead on the ground. Another horse was badly injured after being shot in the face, and later had to be put down.

Wilson was identified as a suspect after the Texas Southwest Cattle Raisers Association drafted a press release that included a photo of a suspicious man from a nearby gas station.

Trenton Ray Wilson was identified after the Texas Southwest Cattle Raisers Association put out... — Trenton Ray Wilson was identified after the Texas Southwest Cattle Raisers Association put out a press release with a photo of a suspicious man from a nearby gas station.(46th Judicial District Attorney)

According to Heatly, a person commits the third-degree felony offense of criminal mischief with a firearm in Texas if by discharging a firearm they cause the death of one of more horses.