Reward offered in horse-slaying case

		11/18/2008 11:19:00 AM	Email this article � Print this article
		Reward offered in horse-slaying case By Stan Maddux For The Herald-Argus LA PORTE - A La Porte area family is offering a cash reward in hopes of finding out who fatally shot their Belgian draft horse. "Ben" was a beloved part of a team of draft horses owned by Brian and Sue Satoski, who used the animals to pull a hay ride wagon every fall at Garwood Orchards and other places in the La Porte area. "They didn't just kill a horse. They killed part of our family," said Sue Satoski, who added many people encountering Ben at special events have fond memories of the 5-year-old horse. "That horse is loved by thousands and thousands of people," she said. Sunday about 8:30 a.m., she said her husband went out to feed the family's two draft horses and three riding horses on their property at 3801 S. 650 West. He immediately notified Sue on his cell phone upon discovering Ben dead from a gunshot wound between the eyes. The horse was lying in the pasture about 20 feet off the roadway. Circumstances leading up to the slaying are not known but Sue speculated that somebody in a vehicle probably stopped and fired the shot. "We're willing to give somebody a reward, if they're willing to tell us who did this," Mrs. Satoski said. She would not disclose how much the family is offering but flyers revealing the cash incentive are being posted. The Satoski's also plan to put an ad in the local newspaper, she said. Their children, ages 9, 12 and 21 are also taking the loss especially hard. "All three of our kids were in that stall with my husband and I watching that horse being born," she said. "He wasn't just some stupid horse. He was part of the family," she said. To his shoulders, Ben measured well over 6 feet tall and weighed 2,200 pounds. Despite such girth, Mrs. Satoski said he was gentle and approachable. "We had little kids literally walk underneath him," Mrs. Satoski said. La Porte County Police Chief of Detectives John Boyd said there were no suspects but the case is being investigated. "We'll do whatever we can to find out who did this," Boyd said. Anyone with information is asked to contact La Porte County Police Sgt. Pat Cicero at (219) 326-7700

Two LaPorte County men are arrested after allegedly shooting a family horse in the head during an unsuccessful deer hunt.

Police say, 24-year-old Joseph Waldo and 25-year-old J.R. Skomac, confessed to shooting a Belgian draft horse in LaPorte County.

�They were out at night, it was a spur of the moment thing and they decided to shoot the horse. Prior to shooting the horse what they confessed to is that they were deer hunting and were unsuccessful and they saw a horse decided to shot the horse,� says Sgt. Pat Cicero from the LaPorte County Sheriff�s Department.

For the past month a reward was being offered to solve the case but an anonymous tip eventually helped police out. Police used forensic evidence to tie the two men back to the shooting.

The owners, Brian and Sue Satoski, say the horse was a member of the family. The horse, named Ben, was very popular in the community.

He was born on the family's farm, attended many fairs, and was very affectionate with children. The Satoskis believe Ben was called over to the side of the road and became an easy target when the shooting happened in mid-November.

�If you had seen this... it was out and out murder. And if they are going do this to an innocent animal what can they do to another human being? That's what scares me,� says Sue Satoski.

The two men face up to 3 years in prison for criminal mischief charges, a class D felony.

The community and United States Humane Society donated thousands of dollars in reward money. A total of $4,200 dollars in reward money was eventually collected.

The Sheriff's Department will decide who deserves it.

Both men are now out on bond. Since the arrest, an arrest warrant was issued for Skomac by the State Parole Board. He is wanted for violating his parole during the time of the shooting.

The Sheriff�s Department is asking anyone with information on J.R. Skomac�s whereabouts to call them at (800) 548-5374.