Over 100 carcasses of snakes, lizards, tortoises and tarantulas found in abandoned La Pine-area home; owner arrested
Barney Lerten
(Update: Adding map, indictment)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A 65-year-old Bend-area man was arrested Thursday on 25 felony counts of first-degree animal neglect, more than eight months after a welfare check at an abandoned La Pine-area home led to a raid that turned up over 100 dead and rotting animal carcasses inside.
Here’s the full news release from Deschutes County Sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Barringer:
On 6/19/25 at 12:00 p.m., Detectives with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office arrested William Griffiths in Bend. Griffiths had an active warrant for his arrest after a Deschutes County grand jury returned an indictment on 6/13/25 charging him with 25 counts of Animal Neglect in the First Degree.
The indictment stemmed from an investigation that began last October south of La Pine. On 10/6/24, a Patrol Deputy with Deschutes County was dispatched to a welfare check in the 50000 block of Deer St. south of La Pine. The caller reported to the Deputy that she had arrived at the house in question to retrieve property that originally came from a private business in Bend where Griffiths used to work, and she believed the property was most likely still at the house. She said when she went to the house, she discovered what she believed to be several dead reptiles in and around the house, and the house appeared to be abandoned.
The Patrol Deputy and an Animal Control Officer responded to the address and conducted a welfare check inside the residence to determine if there were any people or animals that were in need of medical care. No humans were discovered, but they discovered over 100 dead and rotting animal carcasses inside the house, including the carcasses of snakes, lizards, and turtles. There were also carcasses of rodents and tarantulas within the house. No live animals were located.
Oregon Revised Statutes specifically include reptiles in its definitions of animals as applied to animal neglect statutes.
Detectives with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office responded to the residence. They applied for and were granted a search warrant, which was executed the same day to search the residence for evidence of criminal activity.
A Detective later located and interviewed the owner of the house and animals, William Griffiths. During the interview, the Detective developed probable cause for the crimes of Animal Neglect in the First Degree listed in the indictment.
Griffiths was located in a trailer in the 63000 block of Dickey Road east of Bend. He was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Deschutes County Adult Jail on the warrant for his arrest.