A rash of farm-related thefts have plagued Rappahannock and

A rash of farm-related thefts have plagued Rappahannock and Madison counties during the past two months, and the sheriffs departments in both counties have found few leads to follow.

The two most recent thefts, both involving cattle, occurred in Rappahannock within the past two weeks. About two weeks ago, John Marshall Clark had three cows stolen from a pasture he rents on Rt. 627 in Tiger Valley, outside Washington. On Friday, June 5, John Henkell of Amissville had five calves stolen from his pasture on Rt. 729, according to Sheriff John Henry Woodward.

Sheriff Woodward added that Mr. Clark was unable to say precisely when the cattle disappeared, but that it was sometime between May 31 and June 7. - &

Lt. Randy Jenkins of the Madison County Sheriffs Department confirmed that he has investigated a number of “farm-related” thefts between mid-April and the end of May. Asked if it appeared that the thefts were committed by the same people, Lt. Jenkins replied that “I wouldn’t want to say for sure. Other than the fact that they are all farm-related, there’s nothing concrete to tie them in.”

He said that several of the incidents involved livestock, including pigs, but that in other cases farm equipment, feed or supplies were taken. At one farm, fencing material was stolen, while on another occasion fence posts were pulled up out of the ground. Lt. Jenkins said that the most recent theft was a hayrake, stolen around the end of May.

He added that there were two other attempted thefts of livestock in the county, both foiled when fencing broke and the livestock got away. It did not appear in either case that the thieves were frightened away by the landowner.

Lt. Jenkins said that one case was closed when the four calves stolen from a dairy farm were discovered about a week later wandering in a field on the opposite side of Rt. 29. The owner was notified by a neighbor, who had heard of the theft