Deputies investigate llama slaying

Christine Staat, a 10th-grade agriculture student at Gaither High School pets her llama Chase the day after she found another student's llama dead. [Kathleen Flynn | Times]

TAMPA -- The unsolved murder of Adonis, an eight-month-old llama, has rattled Gaither High School.

Students found the llama yesterday after school, during a routine visit to care for the animals living in a barn behind the school on North Dale Mabry Highway. A padlock outside the llama's stall was smashed. Beside it, a hammer had been dropped on the hay-strewn ground.

Adonis suffered blunt trauma to the head, reported the sheriff's deputies summoned to the scene.

The student who owned Adonis, a 10th grade boy, was distraught and did not want to speak to the media today. Local television and newspaper reporters crowded into the barn around the lunch hour.

"It's very painful, because it's like they destroyed a part of you," said Christine Staat, 16, a 10th grader, who is raising two llamas at the school.

She said Adonis came to Gaither just a few months ago. He was sweet and friendly. Students spoiled him with treats like sweet hay and fruit. The school is now left with three llamas, which students own and raise under the supervision of an agriculture instructor.

Gaither High is offering a $500 reward for information that could lead to the llama's murderer through its crime watch program. A necropsy is being performed to determine the cause of death. Sheriff's officials continue to investigate.

For more information, read tomorrow's St. Petersburg Times.

-- Letitia Stein, Times Staff Writer

Comments

[K]

what a sick thing to do! what is wrong with people. do you really think you did something great? you are an immature, cruel, worthless piece of flesh and should have your head bashed in too!

[steve]

Just goes to show you some of our youth are the future serial killers of our state. I guarantee you this was done by some mis guided youths. Justa shame that animals that rely on us for care and trust us are at risk by these wastes of flesh. they will answer for thier crimes when the time comes and will be crying and begging for forgiveness

[kim]

the llama was 8 months old and his name was adonis

[Broken Justice]

They'll probably get caught, get a verbal lashing from some liberal judge, maybe even do some hard probation. That'll teach 'em.
If it was my pet and I caught some kids killing/maiming it, they, at best, wouldn't walk again.

[Floyd]

The person responsible for this should be spending the next several years as Michael Vick's cell mate. It would seem they have a lot in common.

[Cathi]

What a shame that Llama did nothing to that piece of trash. I hope that the owners(students) find this person before the police do and show them what it is like to be hit in the head a few times.

[Carole]

It is a shame that someone with nothing else better to do with their free time, abused and killed such a docile animal. Llamas and El Pacas are sweet, timid animals. I hope that the party who is responsible for this cruel act is punished severely.

[BOB]

How horrible when they find the culprit beat him witha hammer till dead sounds fair

Up the reward to $1000 or more and kids will start talking.

[Kim]

I hope they catch the killer and put him away forever. Anyone who would kill a defenseless animal is only waiting for a chance to kill a person or a child.

[Ugh]

Oh what a great time to start talking liberal judges. Get a clue. The problem with todays youth is that they have NO PARENTAL GUIDANCE. Broken Justice, I hope you are the perfect parent, which includes you still being married, and at least one full time parent in the home. Theres your fixto our probs.

[Tim]

This absolutely breaks my heart. Anyone who could brutally kill an affectionate animal such as a llama or anything else for that matter needs to be locked up until the walls of the prison rot down. I'm sick of these insidious, worthless, rotten youth in this state. The problem is that our juvenile justice system is nothing more that a legalistic farce designed to place our citizens and their property in harms way 24/7. I am sick and fed up with the way we treat criminals in this state. Rather than fight a war on terror we should be fighting a war to end crime in our communities. Criminal, especially juveniles have more rights than you or I, but if you lay one hand on these little villains then you spend 5 years in prison for child abuse. CHANGE OUR LAWS NOW, NO MORE PROBATION AND NO MORE 85% TIME SERVED, MAKE IT 100% OF THE SENTENCE THEN MAYBE PEOPLE WILL THINK BEFORE THEY DO THE CRIME!

[Lisa]

This is the second time in a month a barn animal was killed. A few weeks ago it was a horse in a lady's barn. What's wrong with these sickos?

For the poster who said it was a kid? What makes you think that? Most animal abuse cases involve adults.

[GHS Student]

It was a some emo freshman and his friend was videotaping it with his phone.

[JL]

Llamas taste like chicken!

[AB]

My friend was the owner of the llama. If anyone has any information please report it. There is a $500 reward. We would greatly appreciate it. This tragedy has been distressing to all of us... especially him. Please, whoever did this needs to be caught.

[melissa]

I say the SOB who did this needs to have his hands cut off so he can't beat anything again! Then beat the sh--out of him, then throw his a-- in prison for live. Now that's real JUSTICE!!!

[Broken Hearted]

This story just broke my heart. I don’t care about punishment; the damage has been done. What concerns me the most is that we are living in a world that for whatever reason produces individuals that find this “fun.” We are all to blame for this, because each of us, in our own way has refused to step-up and hold parents responsible for their families' behavior, be it, for example, in the grocery store, the local mall, or at school. I believe that this is just the tip of the iceberg; and unless the majority takes a strong strand against this behavior – which may very well involve “suspending” rights – this country will not stand the test of time. Before you disagree with me, drive through the city and observe the behavior of our youth; folks, even 90% of the people being moral is not enough.

[Broken Hearted]

This story just broke my heart. I don’t care about punishment; the damage has been done. What concerns me the most is that we are living in a world that for whatever reason produces individuals that find this “fun.” We are all to blame for this, because each of us, in our own way has refused to step-up and hold parents responsible for their families' behavior, be it, for example, in the grocery store, the local mall, or at school. I believe that this is just the tip of the iceberg; and unless the majority takes a strong strand against this behavior – which may very well involve “suspending” rights – this country will not stand the test of time. Before you disagree with me, drive through the city and observe the behavior of our youth; folks, even 90% of the people being moral is not enough.

That girl, Christine, she was not the one that found the llama. It was a different chick that was with her. This is the third time this year some idiots went down to the agriculture area to harm the animals. It's horrible.

[paul]

whoever wrote qbout the justice system needs to step back a coupl enotches. this crap starts at home and becasue we have sprm donors and willing egg donors that don't want to stay together and parent we end up with useless offspring like the POS and his useless wastes of shin that assiste dhim in this crime. let's sell more violent computer games and lets make sure kids get no interaction with society and don't get involved in school and the community and volunterr or boyscouts or sports. make sure they trash the very neighborhood they live in. I will be seriously disappointed if this POS does not get an adult sentence for the heinous crime commited.

enough 11111111111

[Giselle]

Ugh. Blaming the parents seems kind of harsh, but I think we might be in agreement. Are you inferring the child was abused, and they now are abusing an animal? Or that they don't appreciate animals because they never loved one? My opinion is that they are just insensitive to violence, and I agree with others this could escalate to humans. BTW, I am a parent of a teens, and they show compassion toward all animals because they always had cats & dogs in the house. All animals are God's creatures and should be treated as such. And if a child of mine ever showed aggression toward animals, I would have seeked professional help.

[stevie tamayo]

i bet it was a fat kid

it was some senior from chamberlain. and no... it was cammy who found the animal. she called alexa last night and thats how it started getting spreaded around

Extremely sad, animals are wonderful. I hope who did that gets what they deserve.