Dead Longhorn Found in Oklahoma State Fraternity House's Yard the Day Before Championship Game: 'Disturbing'

“OSU is appalled at the disturbing display of animal cruelty that occurred overnight at an off-campus location near a fraternity house," shared Oklahoma State University

A longhorn was found dead outside of an Oklahoma State fraternity house on Friday morning.

The discovery came one day before the university is scheduled to face off with the University of Texas Longhorns in the upcoming Big 12 championship football game.

Stillwater Police Department spokesperson Terry Low told PEOPLE that the longhorn’s carcass was found in the front yard of the university’s FarmHouse fraternity at 6:39 a.m. “Once officers arrived on the scene, they confirmed that the cow was deceased and requested assistance from our Criminal Investigations Division," Low said.

Low also revealed that an investigation is currently underway, and the person responsible for the crime could face an animal cruelty charge, which is a felony.

“In my 14 years, I have never come across a crime like this,” added Low. “This is very disturbing.”

The FarmHouse Fraternity shared a statement on Facebook following the discovery, saying, “No FarmHouse member was involved in this incident and we do not condone cruelty or defacing of livestock in any manner.”

The organization said that the carcass was “branded” in “an inappropriate manner” with a phrase referencing their chapter.

“As a chapter founded on principles driven by our agricultural roots, we're just as sickened and surprised by this incident as our peers on campus,” read the statement. “It is disheartening to see the disregard for proper animal welfare and treatment displayed by this situation.”

The FarmHouse Fraternity at OSU was founded in 1928 and strives to “build men in the most crucial aspects of their lives and develop bonds that carry on throughout life,” according to the chapter’s site.

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Following the findings, the university also shared a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter). “OSU is appalled at the disturbing display of animal cruelty that occurred overnight at an off-campus location near a fraternity house."

The statement continued in an additional post: “Oklahoma State expects all students to adhere to university codes of conduct, and appropriate action will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation.”

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Additionally, the university’s President, Dr. Kayse Shrum, issued a statement on X about the “shocking and deeply disturbing act of animal cruelty.” She said, “We expect that authorities will prosecute this case to the full extent of the law, and we stand with the Stillwater community in condemning this reprehensible act, which in no way represents the values of our institution.”

The 9-3 OSU Cowboys are currently in second place in the Big 12 Conference. The championship face-off game will occur on Saturday at 12 p.m. at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

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