Local prank receives desired effect

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Westwind Weekly

No charges will be laid against the numerous subjects found to have been responsible for a “prank” in front of Rooster’s Country Marketplace in Magrath Easter Monday.

The adolescents accountable for the dead deer carcass, whose body was draped across a bench in front of the store with its feet in blue latex gloves with tape around its hooves and a blue hockey horn secured to its mouth, are all minors.

“All the people involved were under the age of 18 years old and will not be identified,” said a press release issued by the RCMP. “Police spoke with the individuals involved and their parents. Each individual was warned about committing such pranks in the future.”

Following the investigation the RCMP have concluded the deer was not tortured in any way and was most likely the victim of an incident involving a motor-vehicle, weeks earlier.

Those involved in the prank told the RCMP the deer was found and removed from a local ditch, prior to taping it and placing it in front of the Magrath grocery store.

“The RCMP would also like people to know that this was a silly prank by youths and no specific person was the target,” stated the media release.

“Raymond/Magrath RCMP do not have any reason to believe that this event is related to other incidents, including the one where a dead coyote was placed on a slide at Raymond Elementary School. The incident at RES was never brought to the attention of the RCMP until the incident in Magrath occurred.”

Remorse expressed for the incident in Magrath was “pretty genuine,” said Sgt. McCoy, who added if the subjects were indeed the same ones from the incident in Raymond, he doesn’t expect there to be any repeat offenses.

“I think Cst. Dell found them through some sources,” said McCoy of the apprehension of the offenders. “No charges have been (or will be) laid. (I think) it was something that was done as a prank and that’s it.”

Both matters involving animal carcasses have been closed.