Former Lipscomb County man arrested for animal cruelty

TSCRA Special Rangers assist in the investigation that led to the arrest of Douglas Leon Williams

PUBLISHED ON 18 August 2024

FORT WORTH, Texas – Douglas Leon Williams, a former Lipscomb County resident, was arrested on animal cruelty charges following an investigation led by Special Ranger Ben Eggleston of the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and the Ellis County Sheriff's Office.

In August 2022, an employee at a ranch in Ellis County, Oklahoma, discovered that a horse owned by the ranch had been shot.

Special Ranger Eggleston and Ellis County Sheriff's officials recovered evidence linking Williams to the crime.

Reports and evidence were submitted to the Ellis County District Attorney's Office, who reviewed the investigation and issued an arrest warrant for Williams on charges of animal cruelty.

Williams was arrested on August 5, 2024, in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri.

Williams waived extradition and was taken into custody by the Ellis County Sheriff's Office. Williams' bail was set at $10,000.

The Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association would like to thank the Ellis County Sheriff's Office, Ellis County District Attorney's Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol, U.S. Marshal Service and Cape Girardeau County Missouri Sheriff's Office for their assistance in this case.

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association is Special Rangers are an elite group of law enforcement officers who have extensive knowledge of the livestock industry. Although they primarily investigate cattle theft and other agricultural crimes, they are well trained in all facets of law enforcement. In total, the association has 30 Special Rangers stationed in Texas and Oklahoma who are contracted by the Texas Department of Public Safety or the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. The Special Rangers also oversee more than 80 market inspectors who collect data such as brands and other identifying features from approximately 5 million cattle sold each year at 100 Texas livestock markets. This information is entered into the association's records and retrieval system, which is an important tool for law enforcement when investigating theft cases. For more news releases and information, visit tscra.org.

–Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association