NEWFANE, N.Y. (WKBW) — Asha's Farm Sanctuary owner, Tracy Murphy, was arrested Tuesday, for grand larceny in the third degree.
The 59-year-old Murphy was accused of stealing two cows, who Murphy said wandered onto her farm.
Both cows were recovered by New York State Police officials and returned to their original owner.
“We finally got our cows back," says Scott Gregson, owner of Mckee Farm. "My family and kids are very excited about it."
On July 25, Lockport troopers arrived at Murphy's home to retrieve the cows.
Murphy refused to return the cows, and a warrant was then executed for Murphy's arrest and the retrieval of the cows.
“I had plenty of evidence that shows they were my cattle the day I went over there and I didn’t have evidence at that time so she told me to leave," Gregson says. "And I was trespassing so once she refused to give me my cattle back then that’s when I called law enforcement.”
Gregson tells 7 News he didn't think the situation would end like this.
He just wanted his cows back.
7 News reporter, Yoselin Person, spoke with Tracy Muprhy's attorney, Matthew Albert.
Albert says Murphy is being held at the Niagara County Jail and her rights were violated.
“They’re titled by law to hang onto these animals until that lien is paid so that never happened here," Albert says. "They're not following the Lien Law 183 and if they were my client wouldn’t be charged criminally.”
Murphy was transported to SP Lockport for processing and was remanded to the Niagara County jail for arraignment.
Trooper James O'Callaghan says officers worked with the Niagara County DA's office and those laws don't apply in Newfane.
“During the investigation we did look at some of the law that she proposed to owner of the cow’s attorney and things like that so we looked into those and we worked with the Niagara County DA’s office and those laws that were provided in the books for a very long time under the Newfane town court doesn’t apply to this," Trooper O'Callaghan says. "The cows in question did have a working fence and wasn’t broken at any time and with that Murphy never filed anything with the Newfane town courts so that’s why we were able to move forward with a criminal arrest.”
Muprhy is charged with third degree grand larceny and as for the Gregson family, they're happy the animals are home.
“Right now we’re happy to get the cattle back and we’re going to take it one step at a time," Scott Gregson says.
