An 18 year old college student, Jaci Rae Jackson, has been arrested in connection with the theft of five rodeo horses, their tack and a trailer which were stolen from the Southern Arkansas University’s Rodeo Team’s Stables.
The trailer was found a few days later with the tack, but it was two weeks before four of the five horses were found — tied to trees in a heavily wooded part of Oklahoma. They were undernourished and dehydrated, but alive. The remains of the fifth horse, Credit Card, were found last week.
An affidavit sheds some light on the crime. It appears that the young woman, who was a freshman member of the rodeo team, stole the horses and wanted one of them dead because she was angry with the owners — reportedly, she had “romantic problems” with one of the young men. According to confidential informants (at least one is reported to be a member of the team), she had cased the stable in advance of the crime and had asked specifically where the horses of certain owners were kept.
Southern Arkansas University Police Chief Eric Plummer said that Jackson faces six felony charges in Arkansas, including three counts of theft of property over $25,000 (Class B felony) and three counts of theft of property between $5,000 and $25,000 (Class C felony). Jackson also faces three felony charges in Oklahoma, including bringing stolen property into that state, knowingly concealing stolen property and cruelty to animals.
What the charges can’t convey is the vindictiveness of a young woman — an equestrian, no less — who could steal five horses and who allegedly watched as a man, identified in The Republic as her mother’s boyfriend, killed one of them. Credit Card, the horse that was killed, was reportedly shot in the head, had his throat slit and was then dismembered to make it easier to dispose of his remains. Obviously, others were involved. It seems as though the police are well on their way to identifying and arresting the other parties.
But how can their be justice for the young man whose horse was so brutally killed? The horse was reportedly named Credit Card after an ad slogan, “don’t leave home without it” because owner Shaun Smith was so attached to his horse that he brought him with him whenever he could.
SAU President, Dr. David Rankin had offered to provide financial help to Smith to buy another horse. But the Smith family has requested that any funds raised go toward a scholarship to help other rodeo students attend SAU.
This is so creepy. I have been following this a bit and wondered who and why but I never NEVER would have guessed this…
I hadnt heard that Credit Card had been stolen and killed till i saw yesterdays new episode of Sweet Home Alabama:'(
That is one sick young woman. Getting revenge on a person by killing an animal, and leaving others to starve to death is the makings of a psychopath. Of course, her environment is good too, since the mom’s boyfriend helped her out. They all should be locked up to protect the rest of us.
I was really hoping that somebody stole the horses and tack trying to make some money. Such a simple solution.
i wonder why there were no mental health services there before such barbarism. didn’t happen in a vacuum – there must have been dysfunctional behavior which got worse years before acting out that way.
There would have had to have been evidence that mental health services were required. I don’t think we want to live in a world where such services are imposed arbitrarily. Further, people who suffer such issues are often good at hiding them. It’s unfortunate that her issues resulted in such horrific criminal activity and cruelty, but does anyone know if she exhibited behavior prior to these actions that indicated that she needed mental health services?
I think that she slit her fathers horses throats when her parents got divorced, so someone knew.
I had read that the horses were recovered and one had died, but this backstory was either unknown at the time or unreported.
Words fail me. My heart goes out to all who suffered: owners, horses, friends, and I’m deeply grieved by Credit Card’s murder. I can’t begin to imagine how his owner feels.
If that crazy bitch did that to my horse, I’d cut her extremities off, slit her throat and shoot her between the eyes. She should be euthanized for what she did.
I hate all that happened and yes she deserves all she gets. But in looking at different articles I saw it was in retaliation for two guys raping her does anyone know anything more about that? That if true is a horrable thing too. But the horse if true didn’t need to pay the guys would…just saying if it was at all true. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
It is sad how someone can do that to an animal. Especially a horse. And especially in seeing how special of a connection Shaun and Credit Card had. It sickens me. I pray that Shaun will be all right and he pulls his hat down and be’s a cowboy.
What a society we live in these days. I cannot believe this girl had that much cold blooded hatred in her heart to do such an unthinkable thIng to poor, innocent, defenseless animals? I can’t even think of what would be a suitable punishment for her and the others that assisted her. Bless the Smith family for having to endure something of this emotional magnitude.