Plea entry scheduled Jan. 12
By Nina Mehlhaf, KTVZ.COM
He's accused of animal abuse against a horse that's become quite famous on the High Desert, best known as Trooper.
Russell Willeford had his first court appearance Friday in Deschutes County Circuit Court. Quiet through his arraignment, 27-year-old Willeford, or Dan as he's known to friends, was only in front of a judge for mere seconds.
The Banks man is accused of shooting Nikko, a horse from a children's summer camp, Camp Tamarack, near Suttle Lake.
Willeford worked as a wrangler there this past summer, and detectives say, was told there was no deadline pressure, but to find Nikko a new home.
After months went by with no takers, the camp planned to just keep him, but police say for some reason, Willeford had other ideas.
Unbeknownst to the camp, Nikko was led out to the Sisters-area forest, shot twice and left to die.
Marc Prigohzy, the director of Camp Tamarack, told NewsChannel 21 back when Willeford was arrested, "We were completely shocked and had no idea that this had happened and that it was our horse."
"It's not something we have ever encountered or thought would happen to one of our horses," he said.
But Nikko lived up to his new name of Trooper, given by his rescuers, by living through the saga for a week when he was finally rescued by hunters, bleeding and starving from a broken jaw.
Farriers recognized their work and Nikko, and pointed the finger at Willeford, who they say wasn't happy with Nikko's look compared to other horses at camp.
"When we first saw the horse, it was just sickening, seeing him like that. And to know Dan did it seems pretty crazy, because he didn't seem like that type of person," said farrier Kyle Deaver, who helped police connect the dots of the story.
Willeford, who declined comment to NewsChannel 21 on Friday, now faces charges of animal abuse, abandonment, theft and criminal mischief.
The one-eyed Nikko, again renamed as Hero, recovered well and is now living comfortably at Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, a child's therapy ranch in Tumalo.
Willeford has told the court he's out of work right now, because of this case. He's scheduled to make the trip from Banks to Bend again to enter a plea on Jan. 12.
