Northern Virginia farmer says cow killer knew what he was doing

A Northern Virginia farmer believes someone who knew what they were doing slaughtered his cow and left her bloodied with an arrow in her side.

The cow was found cut up in a gruesome discovery made just before Christmas.

Now, weeks later, detectives hope the public can help.

The 4-year-old cow was apparently expecting -- four to six weeks away from giving birth.  

Loudoun County’s Animal Services says after weeks investigating, they’re finally turning to the public on this one.

Whoever came on to the farm to butcher and shoot the cow was someone with experience at field dressing an animal.  

Even so, in Virginia, animals are property and whoever did this broke several laws including trespassing.

SKY FOX DRONE captured the Roundabout Meadows farm in Aldie, Va. where the cow was slaughtered. The farm is located on Howsers Branch Drive near Route 15.

The cow’s owner Chris Wolfe tells FOX 5’s Tisha Lewis he owns between 400-500  cows. It appears there are new gates and signage warning about trespassing surrounding the farm.

Fox 5 DC has learned news about this incident has made the rounds in the farming community out here and understandably farmers are on edge.

FOX 5 has obtained pictures showing the cow after the attack — the images are graphic and have been blurred.

“This was most definitely a professional job. The way they cut the hind quarters over the front quarters,” said Wolfe.

“We were able to retrieve was is believed to be a cross bow arrow... that arrow is being analyzed by the Loudoun County Sheriffs Department,” said Chief Chris Brosan, Loudoun County Department of Animal Services.

Wolfe says he’s been farming for more than thirty years and never had anything like this happen.  Furthermore, investigators say this may be a first for the county.

Investigators also checked with surrounding areas and there's apparently no precedent for this type of crime.

A crime that includes several violations — trespassing, theft and more.

The cow was worth up to $1,500 dollars.