Stolen horse to be reunited with owner in Central Texas livestock theft probe

NAVARRO COUNTY, Texas  (KWTX) - The Navarro County Sheriff’s Office has recovered another stolen horse in a growing livestock investigation and Clifton Ray Goines, 74, who’s already held in lieu of $40,000 bond on three counts of theft and cattle and livestock is facing another theft of livestock charge, authorities said Monday.

The sheriff’s office received a report Saturday that a paint horse was missing from a property near Southeast CR 3240 south of Kerens.

Investigators recalled that a horse matching the description of the stolen animal was sold prior to the theft of three other horses, which were recovered in Bryan.

They contacted the buyer who confirmed he purchased the horse on Aug. 22, and then later sold it to an auction house.

The owner of the auction house told detectives the horse was sold to a buyer in Odessa on last Wednesday and was shipped out on Saturday.

Detectives reached the buyer in Odessa, and the horse owner is making arrangements to go pick up the horse.

“I am pleased to say that with the combined efforts and hard work of all those involved with the past case which led to this current case being solved, especially with the time that has passed, we were able to locate the horse and it will soon be reunited with its owner,” Sheriff Elmer Tanner said.

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