>>> May 09, 2002
Happy trails

Louis DePeape was just trying to help out his neighbours. Their horse had died of a blood clot after sustaining a nasty wound while swimming across a creek, and its decomposing body was starting to foul the Taylorville, Wisconsin air. DePeape’s wife asked Louis to be a doll and get rid of the thing. In the still of night, and with his neighbour’s consent, DePeape and two friends got a sturdy length of rope, tied one end around the horse, the other to the back of a car, and drove off in the direction of a local landfill. It was near midnight when police noticed the vehicle making its way down a quiet city street with the strange cargo in tow.

“I thought it could be accomplished unnoticed,” said DePeape. “That sure turned out to be an error in judgement.”

Police removed the horse from the men’s charge and released the three. No charges were filed. :

—Scott Saxon