What is the Oklahoma State Longhorn prank and which fraternity members were arrested?

The morning before the 2023 Big 12 Title game, members of the FarmHouse fraternity at Oklahoma State University woke up to a disturbing sight: a dead longhorn steer on their lawn. More than a month later, four members of OSU’s Alpha Gamma Rho frat chapter were arrested for the gruesome prank.

According to the Austin-American Statesman, the FarmHouse fraternity suspected right away who was responsible for the dead animal they discovered in front of their off-campus frat house on Dec. 1. There had been an ongoing “prank war” between the two frat houses at the same university. The students assumed this was just the latest attack. Police questioned members of Alpha Gamma Rho frat about what happened, but “there was a significant amount of collective lack of cooperation from the Alpha Gamma Rho organization,” a police affidavit said.

Meanwhile, TJ Low, a Stillwater, Oklahoma police spokesperson, told The Oklahoman, “We’ve never had anything like this within our jurisdiction. It’s a very cruel crime to be committed, especially right before the Big 12 Championship.” According to a Stillwater police statement, where Oklahoma State University is located, “The heinous nature of how the animal carcass was disposed is unlawful.” The steer has its abdomen cut and an expletive targeted at the FarmHouse frat branded on its side. It was later determined the animal died from a disease.

Bennett Fady, Luke Ackerley, Brody Shelby, and Andrew King were arrested

On Jan 22, 2024, NBC News reported that four members of the Alpha Gamma Rho frat named Bennett Fady, Luke Ackerley, Brody Shelby, and Andrew King, were arrested for the grim Longhorn steer prank and charged with unlawful disposal of a carcass, a misdemeanor. The four men, identified through a search warrant, used a truck or trailer to transport the dead animal to the frat house and then dump it on the lawn. According to an Oklahoma news outlet, KFOR.com, the frat members were released on their own recognizance and expected to appear in court in March 2024.

In response to what happened, OSU representatives wrote on Facebook,

“Oklahoma State University is appalled at the disturbing display of animal cruelty that occurred overnight at an off-campus location near a fraternity house. The Stillwater Police Department is investigating the incident, and the university’s Office of Student Support and Conduct also has initiated an investigation. Oklahoma State expects all students to adhere to university codes of conduct, and appropriate action will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation.

via Oklahoma State University/Facebook

Although the Longhorn steer prank was timed around the Big 12 Title game between Texas and Oklahoma State, the Texas university has no FarmHouse frat chapter. Texas’s mascot is a Longhorn steer, but the incident seemed to have no direct connection to the Austin, Texas, school.