This from the Kokomo Tribune:
HOWARD COUNTY, IN- A Kokomo man has been issued a warning by the state, and a criminal investigation is pending, after health officials found nearly 100 dead animal carcasses on his property, some of which were inside a pen and being eaten by pigs.
The State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) in November received a complaint that Jerry Rigsby had improperly disposed of dead swine and cattle on his property on the 2600 block of North 300 West, Kokomo.
Officials with the board of health, along with Howard County Sheriff’s Department Detective Ernie Shirey, responded to the property, where they found 99 dead animals that had been improperly disposed of and in various stages of decomposition, according to the report filed by the BOAH.
Rigsby said Wednesday he had hired two employees to operate the animal farm and wasn’t aware of the carcasses until he was contacted by the sheriff’s department in November after the investigation.
State law requires animal owners to dispose of a carcass no more than 24 hours after the owner knows of the death. State law says carcasses must be disposed of by burial, a complete incineration, composting that follows specific state standards, or taken to an approved disposal plant.Violation of the state’s animal disposal law is a Level 6 felony. Health officials said the majority of dead animals located on the property were pigs, ranging from weaner size to 60 pounds, and found along a fence row. They also found dead calves, ranging from 200 to 800 pounds, and a dead goat.Officials also discovered seven swine carcasses located in a small pen with around 25 live pigs inside.
Rigsby said once he was informed by the sheriff’s department about the dead animals, he fired the employees and brought a crew out the next day to dispose of the carcasses.
According to the BOAH report, Shirey told health officials that Rigsby made a pile of all the carcasses and set it on fire. Health officials told Shirey that burning of carcasses is not permitted for proper carcass disposal.Shirey also informed health officials that Rigsby ended up selling off and removing all the live pigs from his property.
Shirey said Tuesday a criminal investigation is still open in the case.