by Eric Mullens
HUERFANO COUNTY — An unusual animal death was reported over the weekend to the Huerfano County Sheriff’s Office from the Vallejos ranch located west of I-25 near the Huerfano Butte, off of Butte Road.Whatever happened to the 150 pound, six-week old Black Angus calf may have occurred late Friday, April 17, as internationally known investigative reporter David Perkins told the World Journal Monday. “JB Vallejos, son of Johnny ‘Boots’ Vallejos, said he heard what may have been the calf’s mother mooing and bellowing late Friday night,” Perkins said.
The calf was discovered Saturday and had a number of strange wounds, including a single deep cut down the center of the animal’s underside, with the skin peeled back, a circular wound (core) to its rectum and missing tongue, which witnesses told Perkins appeared to have been removed with a straight line cut deep in the animal’s throat.
The calf had a value between $1,200 to $1,300.
HCSO Deputy Clint Boehler responded to the call and took the report and made crime scene photographs of the immediate area. He told the World Journal this week, the calf’s sex organs had been removed through the anus, and both of the calf’s eyes had been removed.
Witnesses told Perkins over the phone this past weekend there were some crows at the site of discovery, but no other animal or human activity was apparent. Witnesses to the site told Perkins there were no footprints, tire tracks, or evidence of blood in the area. Witnesses also observed a circular depression, about four feet in diameter, located about five to six feet from the dead calf, which Boehler dismissed as occurring naturally when cows lay down.
“These mutilations are man-made,” Boehler said,” but the intentions remain unknown.”
Huerfano County Sheriff Bruce Newman said Deputy Boehler and the Colorado State Brand Inspector were scheduled to meet at the site of the incident on Wednesday, April 22 to continue the investigation.
Perkins asked Johnny Vallejos if he, in all his years of cattle experience, had ever seen anything like what was discovered on the ranch this past weekend. He said no, he hadn’t.
The calf was found on property located about 200 yards from the busy Interstate highway.
Boehler said another unexplained animal death had been reported to the sheriff’s office about three weeks prior to the most recent discovery. That one happened at an undisclosed location off of CO Hwy. 10, east of Walsenburg. Boehler said he was not aware if this report had been formally investigated by the sheriff’s office or if they had just been made aware of the incident. No further details were available at press deadline.
The elusive answer to unexplained animal deaths around the globe has caused many paranormal investigators to call UADs the longest running unsolved serial crime in the world.
Report any suspicious activity to the HCSO at 719-738-1600.
