On the evening of Jan. 25, a quick stop at a Eureka QuikTrip turned into something straight out of a horror movie, according to police. Surveillance video shows a man pulling up to the gas station, fueling his vehicle and then calmly placing the skinned, headless body of a coyote into a trash can by a pump before driving off.
Officers say the man did not stick around. But they add that he later turned over the animal's head and pelt to police and admitted he was the one who dumped the carcass in the gas station trash.
Video And Police Timeline
Police were called to the QuikTrip at about 6:45 p.m., after someone discovered the carcass in the trash. By then, the suspect was long gone. Surveillance video reportedly shows the driver arriving at about 6 p.m., fueling up, walking to the back of his vehicle and dropping the coyote into the bin before leaving.
Investigators described the vehicle in the footage as a black Jeep Wrangler and said it was last seen heading south on Highway 109. The coyote carcass was taken to Animal Control for identification while investigators reviewed the video, according to KSDK.
Man Admits Trapping The Animal
The man was later identified as a 44-year-old Eureka resident, who, according to police, admitted to putting the decapitated coyote into the QuikTrip trash can and later bringing its head and pelt to officers. He told police he had trapped the animal in the Pacific Palisades Conservation Area and showed them trapping permits to back that up, the Leader reports.
Officers described the carcass as skinned, missing its head and missing a paw. They say they are still sorting out the circumstances around how the animal was killed, according to the Leader.
Where Police Say The Carcass Came From
Police say the man told them he trapped the coyote at the Pacific Palisades Conservation Area in nearby Pacific, a roughly 695-acre public tract, and that he provided permits for trapping in the area. The Missouri Department of Conservation lists public events at Pacific Palisades and shows Buscher Road as the meeting location for the site. Local conservation listings put Pacific Palisades at 1648 Buscher Road in Pacific, matching the area cited by police; see the Missouri Department of Conservation and STL Nature for more on the area.
Possible Charges And Rules
Eureka police have forwarded their report to the municipal prosecuting attorney to determine whether the gas-station dump job counts as illegal dumping, Lt. Brett Grittini told reporters, according to the Leader. State guidance makes it clear that disposal of regulated solid waste outside permitted facilities is prohibited, and local governments typically work with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources on enforcement and cleanup.
Whether the man will actually be charged is now up to prosecutors. Any penalties would depend on local ordinances and the specifics of the disposal, according to state guidance from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
The case remains under review. Police say they will turn over all evidence to the prosecutor for charging decisions, and officials are asking anyone with information or additional video of the incident to contact the Eureka Police Department. For now, the coyote-in-the-trash saga is being treated as an active investigation, according to local reporting.
