Fayette County residents charged for improperly disposing of dead horses

Two people have been charged for failing to correctly dispose of two dead horses, authorities said.

Randy L. Molokken, 51, and his mother, Lyla A. Molokken, 80, of rural Clermont are charged with failure to dispose of dead bodies, according to the Fayette County Sheriff's Office. The charge is a simple misdemeanor.

Deputies started an investigation after the Sheriff's Office received a tip on March 24. Iowa law requires animal carcasses to be disposed of by the owner within 24 hours.

Fayette County Sheriff Marty Fisher said he normally sees one or two of these cases each year. He said the law is in place for a good reason.

“It has to do with disease control,” Fisher said. “Depending on what the animal may have died from, with the carcasses laying around, other animals will feast on it and spread it around.”

Fisher said the horses may have died from neglect. They were among other horses that are in good health, he said. An investigation is continuing.