- Police say Alpha Gamma Rho waged a prank war with the rival FarmHouse frat
- Dead bull found at FarmHouse Fraternity house near Oklahoma State University
- The carcass was branded 'f**k FH' and the stomach was cut open
Authorities raided OSU fraternity Alpha Gamma Rho after the mutilated carcass of a longhorn was dumped outside a rival's home last week ahead of a title football game against the University of Texas.
Police served a search warrant at the off-campus dorm on Wednesday in search of evidence. Fraternity brothers mutilated the steering wheel, carved “F**k FH” into the side of the cow and later dumped it on the front lawn of the rival FarmHouse frat. 1.
“Some of the information provided to us indicates possibly a back and forth feud between the fraternities, such as a prank war, but obviously went a little further than necessary,” Stillwater Police Lt. TJ said. Low told the local Fox station.
Police formed Alpha Gamma Rho a day after the dead cow was found and asked the organization for what investigators called “necessary information regarding the acquisition, transportation and dumping” of the bull.
In addition, the longhorn suffered from natural illness before its death.
Longhorn steer found dead at the FarmHouse Fraternity house near the OSU campus in Stillwater, Oklahoma
Alpha Gamma Rho is cooperating with investigators, according to a statement released this weekend
Alpha Gamma Rho released a statement condemning the incident a day after a dead Longhorn was found on the lawn of another fraternity
“Initial investigation through the necropsy report showed that the animal was already in a diseased condition, so their interpretation was that the animal may have been dead before it was discarded,” Low added.
Police believe the Longhorn was dropped off overnight by what appeared to be a truck or trailer, based on tire tracks.
Alpha Gamma Rho claimed to be cooperating with police and conducting its own investigation, according to a statement released over the weekend.
“This behavior is contrary to the values of our brotherhood,” the frat said. “Alpha Gamma Rho will not tolerate this behavior.”
Even if the animal died of natural causes, the mutilation and dumping of the body is still illegal, police warned.
FarmHouse Fraternity quickly denied involvement on Friday.
The FarmHouse Fraternity says its members were not involved
“No member of FarmHouse was involved in this incident and we do not tolerate cruelty or the harming of livestock in any way,” the statement revealed.
They added that they called police as soon as they found the cow's remains.
The incident happened before the OSU football team lost to the Texas Longhorns for the Big 12 Championship title on Saturday in Dallas.
It is unclear if the Longhorn murder is related to the football game.
One social media account linked to OSU fans, or Pokes, tweeted'Someone took #texashateweek a little too far…'
The governor of Texas, a former Longhorn, joined in online.
OSU played the Texas Longhorns in the Big 12 championship game on Saturday and lost
'That is not true. Big mistake,' Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted Friday afternoon.
Jokes between rival colleges before or after big games are common in the Lone Star State and neighboring Oklahoma.
In recent years they have risen to the level of vandalism.
In 2015, students from Texas Christian University of Fort Worth, Texas traveled to rival Baylor University in Waco, Texas and painted the statue of Baylor Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III with TCU colors.
Anyone responsible could face a charge of animal cruelty, a misdemeanor.
Anyone with information can contact police at 405-372-4171 or via the tip line at 405-533-8477.