Goat Beheadings

(Tooele, Utah) A 20-year-old Springville man, Orion Kent Mitchell Stoltman, pleaded guilty yesterday to two counts of aggravated cruelty to an animal and theft, stemming from beheading two goats on Halloween last year. In exchange for the plea, counts of criminal mischief and trespass were dismissed.

According to prosecutors, Stoltman had no motive in the goat beheadings and there was no connection between Stoltman and the goats' owners, who kept them as pets.

Tooele police have said that in the early hours of Oct. 31, Stoltman and two juveniles broke into a pen containing the goats, named Daisy and Duke. The animals were found beheaded outside Tooele's North Lake Elementary School.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 9th before 3rd District Judge Stephen Henriod. Stoltman faces a possible two and one-half years in prison.

Hopefully, someone will keep an eye on Stoltman and his two juvenile friends from here on out.