Three Keokuk men were charged July 6, with animal torture after a video appeared online in early May showing the men with an injured opossum.
Jerry McGee, 19, Austin Salyers, 18, and Casey Taylor, 19, allegedly found the opossum after it had been hit by a vehicle. The men were allegedly seen in the video throwing and beating the opossum while it was still alive. The video generated numerous complaints to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Lee County Attorney’s Office and the Keokuk Police Department.
The individuals are scheduled to appear in Lee County court on July 26. Animal torture is an aggravated misdemeanor.