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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 29, 2005 Cows gunned down Teen charged in malicious shooting of four cows at an Eagle Point ranch By CHRIS CONRAD Mail Tribune A teen faces six felony charges after a booze- and gun-fueled summer camping trip he attended ended with four bullet-riddled cows belonging to an Eagle Point rancher. Billy James Frye, 18, of Eagle Point, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to four counts of aggravated animal abuse, felony theft and criminal mischief in connection with what Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Trooper Jeff Allison described as a "cow massacre." Police believe Frye and a group of friends went camping the weekend of August 27 just off Highway 140 near Lake of the Woods. The nine teens, ranging in age from 15 to 19, brought along alcohol, cigarettes and a small cache of weapons to keep themselves entertained, Allison said. "They showed up with an SKS assault rifle, an Ithaca 12-gauge shotgun, a .32-caliber pistol and a .22-caliber rifle," Allison said. "They belonged to a relative of one of the boys." At some point, four cows were gunned down — two were pregnant, two had recently given birth, Allison said. Advertisement Fourth-generation rancher Loren Walch found the first carcass on the morning of Aug. 30. At first, he believed it had been shot accidentally by someone taking target practice nearby. When the day ended with the discovery of three more cow carcasses, he knew he had a problem. "They had been shot from one end to the other," Walch said. The cows lay surrounded by rifle and shotgun shells. Walch noticed the rifle shells had a distinctive look. They were silver-jacketed. He tried to track the shells, but found they were stocked in many local stores. He decided to call the police. Allison met Walch at the ranch and the men began the unpleasant business of digging bullets out of the bovine bodies in the late-August heat. "It was gross ... you had to scoop away maggots to get to bullets," Allison said. It wasn’t until a month later that the big break came. Walch was walking down to the pasture to release some cows when he saw Frye emerge from a nearby cabin carrying an assault rifle. He asked Frye to pull the rifle’s clip. It was packed with the same silver-jacketed bullets he found near the dead cows. "I knew they’d come back ‘cause they’re stupid," Walch said. Allison arrived soon after and began questioning Frye and his two friends. Finally, Frye admitted to killing two of the cows, Allison said. "One kid that owned the guns, but didn’t do the shooting said to me, ‘I didn’t shoot your cows, but my guns did,’" Walch said. Because he was the only one to admit to actually killing a cow, Frye was charged with the all four cow deaths. He was arrested on Dec. 14 and spent nearly a week in the Jackson County Jail before posting bail. Walch said he appreciated the hard work OSP troopers did on the case, though he wonders if more arrests will be made. "I heard Billy say he shot two," Walch said. "I guess (his friends) are not going to admit who shot the other cows." Walch and Allison are left shaking their heads, wondering what could have inspired the "cow massacre." "I asked them why they did it and they said they had no reason," Walch said. Reach reporter Chris Conrad at 776-4471, or e-mail Cows gunned down ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Student Loans Online Pharmacy tcg student loan consolidation Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Salvia Divinorum Online Casino Fundraisers Advertisement s