A nine-year-old girl won a stunning victory in her fight for justice after California county deputies took her beloved goat, butchered it and roasted it.
The ordeal unfolded when Cedar the goat was kidnapped as part of a program aimed at teaching young people how to care for farm animals.
Two years later, after a bitter legal dispute, Shasta County agreed to pay $300,000 to the girl’s family to resolve the dispute over the beast.
“Unfortunately, this litigation cannot bring Cedar home,” said Vanessa Shakib, an attorney representing the family. “But the $300,000 settlement with Shasta County and the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office is the first step forward.”
Jessica Long and her nine-year-old daughter won a stunning victory in their fight for justice after California county deputies took her daughter’s beloved pet goat, butchered and roasted it.
The unimaginable ordeal unfolded when the young girl’s beloved companion, named Cedar, was captured as part of a program aimed at teaching young people how to care for farm animals, despite the family’s desperate pleas and emotional protests.
Jessica Long bought Cedar, a seven-month-old white Boer, in April 2022 and the animal soon formed a bond with her nine-year-old daughter, who fed and cared for him every day.
However, the family decided to enter Cedar in the Shasta District Fair Youth Livestock Auction on June 24, 2022, where animals are sold for use as meat.
But long before the auction began, the family changed their mind and wanted to get Cedar off the ticket. The fair rejected the request and sold it, so the mother blatantly stole the goat before giving it to the buyer.
What followed was a wild goat chase: Deputies sent hundreds of miles across the county to recover the goat using a search warrant, before turning it over to individuals believed to have killed Cedar and barbecued it for their friends. guests.
But, even with their recent victory and the promise of the huge sum, the Long family still has no answers, as it is unclear who actually killed the goat, which was purchased at the county fair for $902.
Long’s family purchased Cedar, a seven-month-old white Boer, in April 2022 and the animal soon formed a bond with her nine-year-old daughter, who fed and cared for him every day.
Long before the auction began, the family changed their mind and wanted to remove Cedar from the ticket but the fair denied the request and sold him.
Vanessa Shakib, lawyer for Jessica Long
Shakib said fair and county officials, over the years-long proceedings, have engaged in “obstructionist discovery tactics” to avoid answering burning questions about what really happened to the goat and what role officials played. in the seizure and ultimately murder of the much-loved animal. .
“Years later, this case still has several unanswered questions,” Shakib said.
Text messages revealed during the federal lawsuit suggest that fair officials tried to hide what really happened to Cedar and who was involved.
BJ Macfarlane, livestock manager for the Shasta Fair Association, wrote in a text message on July 22, 2022, to Shasta Fair executive director Melanie Silva: “Kathy said it was fine, but no one need to know about this.”
The message referred to Kathie Muse, a 4-H volunteer and county barbecue organizer.
‘You, Kathy and I are unique. “They killed him and donated him to a non-profit organization if anyone asks,” Macfarlane added.
“We are a non-profit organization,” Silva responded, adding several emoticons of embarrassment and laughter.
But even with the promise of the huge sum, Long’s daughter remains without answers.
Lawyers for the Long family have since argued that finding out who allegedly killed Cedar and who contacted police is vital to their ongoing case, since Long came forward before her daughter’s pet was butchered.
Lawyers for the Long family have since argued that uncovering the Cedar Butcher and who contacted police is vital to their case.
Long and his attorney allegedly contacted the sheriff, fair and county officials before the goat was killed, claiming they were disputing ownership of the beloved farm animal.
However, someone decided to have Cedar seized and then killed despite knowing a lawsuit was coming, Shakib said.
County officials still deny any wrongdoing.
“The county did nothing wrong, but we recognize the risk and cost of going to trial, and that’s why we agreed to settle the case,” Shasta County Attorney Christopher Pisano said in an email to Los Angeles Times.
“We are happy to move forward and put this case behind us.”
Shakib said attorneys are still reviewing discovery, including phone records, to try to figure out what happened to Cedar, as Long and her daughter still have claims against Shasta Fair District employees and a 4-year-old volunteer. -H.
