When investigators arrived at the auction at 11:15am, they immediately noticed that kill buyer Charlie Carter’s silver Kenworth T2000 and single deck trailer was already parked in the lot. There was also a veterinarian truck with a Delta Veterinary Clinic logo and 2 brand inspector trucks.
Inside the pen area, one small pen contained 8 horses all younger than 2 years. Many of the horses appeared very nervous and there was a lot of fighting. The pens were very muddy and many of the animals were standing in mud from the fetlocks to the knees.
32 horses sold in the “loose” sale including an aged pony that had a much enlarged belly.
The riding horse auction started at 12:15pm. At 2:10pm, Carter’s truck backed up to the chute to load. An unknown young man and the driver loaded the horses. They were very impatient and on several occasions they were observed hitting the horses with full force with their sticks. The loading was finished at 2:30pm. The truck pulled away from the chute at 2:55pm.
The investigators followed the truck to the port of entry in Lamar, TX. He then took Highway 385 South, heading straight to the Morton slaughter horse feedlot.
