Oklahoma men accused of torturing, beheading pregnant buffalo
Two Oklahoma men accused of shooting and beheading a buffalo and seriously wounding another buffalo are charged in Cherokee Nation Criminal Court.
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Two Oklahoma men accused of shooting and beheading a buffalo and seriously wounding another buffalo are charged in Cherokee Nation Criminal Court.
Gunner Lee Richards, 25, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, of Broken Bow, and Tryston Hunter Needham, 29, a citizen of the Choctaw Nation, of Pittsburg County, are charged with two counts of animal cruelty and grand larceny for the November 14, 2023, shooting of the animals in Owasso. They are free on $50,000 bail.
Court records do not reflect their next court date.
“The Cherokee Nation continues to uphold its public safety obligations under the historic McGirt decision and will continue to work with our state and local partners to ensure those who commit crimes are prosecuted,” said Cherokee Nation Attorney General Chad Harsha.
The owner of the buffalo herd found the female buffalo dead and her head had been removed, the arrest warrant states. The female buffalo was carrying an almost full-term calf. The owner also discovered a second buffalo, a large adult male who had been shot was severely wounded, and would require euthanasia, the affidavit states.
Investigators noticed several places throughout the field that had blood evidence. Collected in the pasture was a Smith and Wesson knife that had been left near the area where the head of the female buffalo had been cut off. Also found was a shoe print made by a Double HH brand boot in the mud located near one of the areas where blood and biological evidence were located.
Needham bragged to friends about killing the buffalo, the affidavit states.
Bison are native to North America and Europe and are sometimes called buffalo in casual use, but they are two different animals. Buffalos, which have longer curvier horns, are native to Africa and Asia, according to several zoological websites.