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Stolen Horse International, Inc.
PO Box 1341
Shelby, NC 28151
(704) 484-2165
stolenhorse@netposse.com
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Do you know who shot Wendy in Greenville, SC?
REWARD $1250
See filed report below
Thank You Letter from Gwen
Update 1
Reward
Print flyer here
in PDF format. You can update your Adobe Reader free at link
below. If you need flyer sent by attachment send email to idahonc@aol.com
Put "Need Wendy Flyer" in subject line.
Update 1: Subject: Re: Wendy on home page Date: 10/14 1:42 PM
One thing I'd like you to do is change the reward to $1000 for now. If I get more than that I'll let you know to up it.
 My name is Gwen Powell. I live in Greenville, SC. After loving horses all my life and wanting to find a horse to share my life with, at age 36 I bought Wendy, a beautiful golden palomino QH mare. She was 2 ½ years old and quite precious to me. She was the sweetest and funniest horse I’d ever seen. I had looked at PLENTY other horses and actually saw her while looking at another horse. It was love at first sight for both of us. I asked to ride her and was told that if I decided to get her she cost over twice what I wanted to pay. I called the credit union and borrowed the money to buy her.
I went to see her everyday and was teased that I was going to brush the hide off of that horse. She followed me around like a puppy. I promised that she would never have to worry about being afraid or anyone hurting her ever again and although I’ve had lots of folks offer to buy her, I knew we would be together until the end came for one of us.
Her end came Monday morning October 11, 2004 when she was murdered while grazing in her “safe” pasture.
I just happened to be passing the area where my horse was kept with my best friend. Tracy’s 3 horses on her family’s property. When I pulled off the road onto our drive way, I only saw 3 horses. The 2 geldings were whinnying loudly and all 3 looked distressed. I searched the barn and pasture but could not find Wendy. Then I saw the fence mashed down. I thought something had spooked her and she’d gone through the fence and was grazing somewhere nearby on the property.
I called Tracy to tell her Wendy was missing but the other 3 were OK. She left work and came to help me search. We walked the rest of the property and saw no sign of her. I then said I was going to check the fence and see if I could tell which way she went when she got out….Tracy would walk below where I was looking on the other side of a steep hill. That is where she found Wendy lying on her side dead, bleeding from her nose, but with no other wounds.
After seeing the area where she was obviously hung in the fence, I knew it could not be good since there had been such a fierce struggle to free herself. As Tracy came up over the hill, I knew from the look on her face that she had found my beloved companion.
We assumed, because there were no wounds visible, that she had broken her leg in the fence, had gotten loose and stumbled to the edge of the hill where she fell and possibly broke her neck.
For those of you who have had the misfortune of having to bury a large animal, you know how difficult it is to find someone with a backhoe who can get there the same day. After hours of phone calls, I finally found a man who could come right then. You also know that a backhoe cannot move a horse without the fear of turning over. Wendy’s lifeless body was at the bottom of the hill by the creek and had to be moved away from the water source.
My dear friends and family moved my horse with a shipping halter and towing straps hooked to a tractor. How demeaning for such a noble animal!
The hole was dug, it was time to move her into it. When she was turned over, there it was….the bullet hole! My sweet, innocent horse had been shot!
Thankfully, I didn’t have to witness her lying at the bottom of the hill, or being dragged by a tractor, or the deep hole, or her body being dumped into the deep hole, or the dirt being pushed back in on her…..but after all that, I was told she had been shot.
Now, after having to endure all of those terrible things that happened that day, I am now facing possibly having her body exhumed and the bullet retrieved, but only if WE can find more evidence…not the sheriff, not the DNR, but those of us who are already heartbroken and exhausted.
So, I have talked to the Sheriff, the DNR, WYFF and FOX TV, The Greenville News, the Anderson Independent and half a dozen neighbors. There is suppose to be no hunting in the area, so all I can come up with is that someone was hunting without permission, shot at a deer and the bullet hit my horse, someone shot my horse thinking she was a deer, or someone intentionally murdered my horse. No matter how it happened, it was a careless person with a firearm in a place they were not supposed to be.
Just two days before, we had a birthday party with a dozen 6 year olds doing “pony rides” through the woods. The owner of the property plants gardens each year for his family and friends to enjoy, we are there with the horses daily….what if that bullet had hit one of us?
I admonish you to be careful, post your property and if you see or hear anyone with a gun that is not suppose to be there to call the authorities. If you see any suspicious activity, vehicles “shining” for deer at night, deer stands that don’t belong or shell casings, call the DNR.
If you hear of ANYONE shooting a horse, whether by accident or “just for fun” please get in touch with me. There will be a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who killed my horse.
Thank you for your time and please, please, please be careful to protect yourselves and your animals.
Gwen Powell
Personal Information
Owners Name: Gwen Powell
Email: Powell140@yahoo.com
Address: S. Florida Ave.
City: Greenville
State: SC
Zip Code: 29611
Home Phone: 864-787-7084
Work Phone: 864-241-3326
Cell or Other Phone: 864-787-7084
Fax: 864 241-3325
Information
Date: 10/11/04
Incident facts: Horse was shot in the pasture with 3 other
horses. It is believed she was shot with a high powered deer
rifle between 5:00 and 8:00am Monday morning October 11,
2004. Location is Exit 40 Hwy 153 off I-85 down frontage rd.
City/County : Anderson County
Horse's Name: Windy
Breed: QH
Sex: Mare
Color: Palomino
Age: 8 years
Weight: 950lbs
Height: 14.3 Hands
Identifiable Characteristics:
What happened? Horse was shot in pasture
Local Law Enforcement Information
Agency:
Address: 305 Camson Rd. (PO Box 5497, Zip 29623)
City: Anderson
State: SC
Zip Code: 29625
County: Anderson
Phone: 864-260-4400
Fax: 864 260-4398
Email: acso@carol.net
Date of Report: 10/12/04
Case Number: 04-41924
Contact Officer: Burns
Other Info
Reward: Yes
If so, How much? $100 (see update info below) REWARD
INCREASED
Who is responsible for payment of reward? Self
What are the conditions or other notes about the reward and its
payment? Information leading to the arrest of shooter
Date: 10/20/2004 2:38:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Debi,
Just had someone ad $200 to the reward. Please make the change on the website and flier to $1200.
Thanks,
Gwen
Thank you Letter
Well, it's been four whole days since my world was turned upside down by a careless person with a rifle. Everyday I've had to drive by my Wendy's grave and see the fence that she tore down trying to escape the pain of the bullet that took her life.
There are still three very nervous, confused horses there that have to be taken care of. Every time I drive down the road to our pasture I hold my breath until all three heads are counted. As soon as they see me get out of my truck, they rush to me as if looking for comfort or answers which I have not. I rub each face and tell them I love them and that some day it will be OK, but I still fear the same fate for them until this person is caught.
The cards, phone calls, monetary donations and hugs have kept me going the past few days. To those of you who came to my rescue Monday, Tracy, Sherri, Shelly, Bobbi, Gary, Jeff, I love you more than you know. I could NOT have done what you did and could not have survived it without you. To the folks who were not there, but gave advice and made phone calls, thank you for not just saying "sorry", and going about your day. And dear Mr. Parson who dug Wendy's grave, stopped what he was doing and came right away so she would not have to stay there until the next morning, God bless you! Thank you, Betty for doing my job so I could take care of the horrible task at hand. Debi Metcalf, who hurriedly compiled a flier for Wendy and put it on her SHI website, you are and absolute angel. Leigh Anne O'Kelley, you always come through. Michelle Locke, thank you for all that you're about to do...distributing fliers and alerting area hunters to be on the lookout for this person. Varena Heatherly, thank you for Wendy...she is still my heart. I HOPE I've not forgotten anyone.
It's Friday afternoon....now begins the detective work. I will spend the next two and a half days trying to piece together what happened, talking to neighbors, driving around before sunrise looking for vehicles that shouldn't be there (don't worry, I'm only looking and taking pictures...I promise I won't hurt anyone), and looking for physical evidence in the surrounding wooded areas...yes, I'll be wearing my blaze orange vest!
So please, say a prayer, light a candle, stay in the lotus position until your legs appear to not have any bones, whatever you choose to do to call on the powers that be...I'm going to need all the help I can get!
Again, thank you to a group of outstanding human beings!
Gwen and Wendy
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