Former Rapides Parish Detective Says He Can Show Obstruction of Justice and Malfeasance
For Immediate Release:
August 3, 2011
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Alexandria, La. — Following allegations of a cover-up in a Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office investigation of the fatal shooting of a chained dog, PETA has sent a letter to Rapides Parish District Attorney James Downs asking him to investigate the matter. According to former Sheriff's Office detective Randall Cooper, Sheriff Charles Wagner Jr., a friend of the alleged shooter, cut short the April 2010 investigation and ordered that evidence be destroyed.
According to Cooper, who was assigned to investigate the shooting, the dog's guardian, Casey Mathews, was intent on seeking criminal charges of cruelty to animals against the alleged shooter, her uncle Stephen Mathews, who is purportedly a friend of Wagner's and who reportedly shot the dog repeatedly. Cooper claims that Wagner contacted Casey directly and persuaded her not to pursue the case. Cooper also claims that he was instructed by Wagner to destroy both the case file and the video footage of the shooting. However, another detective made copies of the video, and Cooper has provided PETA with a copy, along with photographs of the dead dog.
If Wagner ordered the destruction of a case file and video evidence in a pending criminal matter, he obstructed justice. If he failed to report knowledge of a crime and used his authority to persuade a witness not to testify, he committed malfeasance in office. And if the allegations are true, Wagner also committed injury to public records. PETA believes the community has a right to know.
"If the sheriff did what's alleged, the district attorney needs to throw the book at him," says PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "Casey Mathews' dog undoubtedly suffered. Louisiana has laws on its books for crimes against animals, and if Stephen Mathews committed this atrocity, he needs to pay the price—whether he and the sheriff are buddies or not."
PETA's complaint to Rapides Parish District Attorney James Downs is available upon request. For more information, please visit PETA.org.