Latest news with #ShawnFrehner
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Veterinarian's cause of death revealed after he disappeared amid viral footage of him beating a horse
A Nevada veterinarian died by suicide amid massive backlash to a video showing him beating a horse. The body of Shawn Frehner, 56, was recovered from Lake Mead on April 18 - nearly two weeks after he vanished. The Office of the Clark County Coroner and Medical Examiner has since ruled that Frehner died of drowning - with the use of pentobarbital as a contributing factor, KTNV reports. The drug, which Frehner injected himself with, is used for euthanizing animals, according to News 3 LV. Frehner had been facing felony animal abuse charges when he disappeared on April 6, after he was filmed abusing a horse he had been called out to help. It was shared by the horse's owner, Shawna Gonzalez, and showed Frehner kicking her horse Big Red in the jaw. On Facebook, Gonzalez wrote that her daughter began recording the veterinarian after being concerned by how tightly he appeared to have wound a rope around the colt's neck. 'I heard [my mother] yell, "Oh my God. He just kicked him,"' Gonzalez recounted. Frehner had been facing felony animal abuse charges when he disappeared on April 6, after he was filmed abusing a horse he had been called out to help 'He wrapped the horse around his neck three times, and he kicked him in the head. 'I had started having a severe anxiety attack and couldn't breathe myself. 'I was already on the ground, and my daughter picked up the phone and hit record, and that's when she got him on videotape, kicking him.' The animal was left with abrasions to the skull and taken to Desert Pines Equine Center. Gonzalez also claimed that the vet bills for Red are likely to run into the thousands and requested donations to Desert Pine Rescue Center. 'The abuse and cruelty my horse suffered on 4/3/2025 was inhumane, disgusting, appalling, and the most hurtful thing and from the hands of vet that I trusted and Red trusted,' she wrote shortly after the incident. As the clip went viral, some social media users sent the veterinarian death threats - while others flooded his business page with negative reviews. Eventually, Frehner took to his own social media page to apologize - claiming that the video did not show the full story. 'I did not blatantly haul off and kick this horse as it appears in the video. That was not my intention at all,' Frehner wrote, 8News Now reports. 'It was done simply to get the horse in a better position so that he could breathe and get up and move so I could again try to anesthetize.' 'But yes I did kick him right in the chin and I very much do apologize and wish this never happened,' he wrote. Shortly after writing the apology, though, Frehner seemed to have deleted the post as he disappeared. Investigators soon honed in on Lake Mead, after discovering his wallet, keys and cellphone in an unoccupied truck near the edge of the enormous reservoir. At the time, Frehner's father said he did not know why his son would have gone to Lake Mead - noting that he did not own a boat. He then told investigators he was concerned for his son's safety amid the online vitriol. Meanwhile, Gonzalez said she, too, was distraught by the news of his disappearance. 'It's horrible, I never, ever wished this upon him, I never wished this upon anybody' she said. 'This is not what I wanted in the end at all.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Cause of Death Revealed for Nevada Veterinarian Found Dead After Video of Him Allegedly Kicking Horse Went Viral: Reports
The body of Dr. Shawn Frehner, 56, who was allegedly seen kicking a horse in a video that went viral on social media, was found near the Boulder Islands at Lake Mead near Las Vegas last month His cause of death has now been revealed as drowning, with the euthanasia drug Pentobarbital being cited as a contributing factor, per KTNV Frehner's manner of death was listed as suicide, the outlet statedThe cause of death for a Nevada veterinarian, who was allegedly seen kicking a horse in a video that went viral on social media, has been revealed. Authorities discovered the body of Dr. Shawn Frehner, 56, on April 18, near the Boulder Islands at Lake Mead, near Las Vegas, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, KSNV, and KTNV, who cited a statement from the National Park Service. It's now been confirmed that Frehner's cause of death was drowning, with the drug Pentobarbital noted as a contributing factor, per KTNV, citing the Office of the Clark County Coroner and Medical Examiner. According to the National Library of Medicine, "Pentobarbital sodium is a common animal euthanasia drug in the United States and Canada, as well as in other countries with access to it." Frehner's manner of death was listed as suicide, outlets including KTNV, KLAS, and Fox 5 Las Vegas reported. His identity was confirmed on April 19 through dental records, per KLAS. The Office of the Clark County Coroner and Medical Examiner didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information. Frehner was reported missing nearly two weeks before he was found dead, PEOPLE previously reported. The National Park Service had been leading an expansive search for him, per a Lake Mead National Recreation Area missing persons poster shared on Instagram. His wallet, keys, and cell phone had been found in his unoccupied truck left near Lake Mead, KTNV previously stated. Frehner's disappearance came just days after he was seen allegedly kicking a horse in a viral video that spread across social media. On April 3, he was called to administer anesthetic shots for horses at a property located about 60 miles west of Las Vegas, Shawna Gonzalez, the property owner, told KLAS' 8 News Now. 'I heard [my mother] yell, 'Oh my God. He just kicked him,' ' Gonzalez said, per the outlet. 'Oh my God, Mom, he's choking,' she added. 'He wrapped the horse around his neck three times, and he kicked him in the head.' Gonzalez said the horse was treated for abrasions to the skull and other injuries, per the outlet. She then pushed for animal cruelty charges, which led the Nye County Sheriff's Office to open a criminal investigation against Frehner. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Frehner responded to the allegations on social media, insisting, 'I did not blatantly haul off and kick this horse as it appears in the video. That was not my intention at all,' per the Las Vegas-Review Journal. 'It was done simply to get the horse in a better position so that he could breathe and get up and move so I could again try to anesthetize,' he added, according to the outlet. Gonzalez said in a text to the outlet that she was sorry to hear about Frehner's death. 'I had no idea this would happen,' Gonzalez wrote. 'But I was not the one bullying. I am not sorry for standing up for my horse. I am their voice and will continue to be.' The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Nye County Sheriff's Office didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to Read the original article on People
New York Post
15-05-2025
- New York Post
Cause of death revealed for Vegas veterinarian Shawn Frehner who went missing after being caught on camera kicking horse in face
The Las Vegas veterinarian who was found dead in a lake last month after he disappeared when video of him brutally kicking a horse in the face died from suicide. Dr. Shawn Frehner injected himself with the euthanasia drug Pentobarbital and died from drowning in Lake Mead, a reservoir spanning from Nevada to Arizona, according to KTNV, which cited the Clark County Coroner and Medical Examiner on Wednesday. His body was identified using dental records, the coroner's office revealed. Advertisement 3 Dr. Shawn Frehner's death was ruled a suicide, according to the Clark County Coroner and Medical Examiner. Facebook Frehner, 56, had disappeared on April 6 after he was caught on video physically abusing a horse he was supposed to be treating. He later apologized on Facebook after the video went viral, and defended his actions before vanishing. Advertisement 'I did not blatantly haul off and kick this horse as it appears in the video,' Frehner wrote, according to News8Now. 'That was not my intention at all. It was done simply to get the horse in a better position so that he could breathe and get up and move so I could again try to anesthetize. But yes, I did kick him right in the chin, and I very much do apologize and wish this never happened.' The wounded horse received treatment for abrasions to the skull. 3 Frehner, 56, had disappeared on April 6 after he was caught on video physically abusing a horse he was supposed to be treating. FOX5 Advertisement At the time of disappearance, the longtime veterinarian was set to face felony charges for animal abuse. Frehner's father told investigators he was worried for his son's safety when he disappeared because of the backlash he had received from the viral video, KTNV reported. The owner of the horse, Shawna Gonzalez, called his disappearance 'horrible' and was hoping he'd be found safe. 'It's horrible, I never, ever wished this upon him, I never wished this upon anybody,' Gonzalez told 8NewsNow during the search. 'This is not what I wanted in the end at all.' Advertisement 3 Authorities searching for Frehner at Lake Mead. Fox 5 After nearly two weeks of being missing, authorities began combing Hemenway Harbor at Lake Mead after finding his truck abandoned with his wallet, keys and phone inside near the water's edge. His father told investigators he didn't know why his son would go to Lake Mead since he didn't have a boat. The National Park Service — the lead agency in the search — pulled Frehner's body from the water near Boulder Islands on April 18. It remains to be seen when Frehner took his own life. If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Cause of death revealed for Las Vegas-area veterinarian found in Lake Mead
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A high-profile Las Vegas-area veterinarian who disappeared in April died by suicide in a drowning at Lake Mead, the Clark County coroner's office ruled Wednesday. Crews found Dr. Shawn Frehner's body near the Boulder Islands within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on April 18. His identity was confirmed on April 19 through dental records. The coroner's office confirmed Frehner's cause of death was drowning with the use of pentobarbital. His manner of death was listed as suicide. Pentobarbital is a barbiturate, which is a type of medication that acts as a central nervous system depressant. It is also a common animal euthanasia drug in the United States and Canada, according to the National Library of Medicine. The search for Frehner began at Lake Mead after his keys, wallet, and cellphone were found in his truck parked at Hemmenway Harbor on April 7. According to a missing person report filed the day after he disappeared, Frehner's father, Rex, told police the last time he spoke with Shawn was on Sunday, April 6, at around 9 a.m., and his son told him he was having a hard time with one of the horses. A video 8 News Now obtained showed Frehner jabbing a horse in the face before he went missing. The video also showed Frehner flushing a horse's nose with a syringe — a normal practice. Shortly after, he is seen jabbing the horse in the face. Frehner issued an apology after another video showing him kicking a horse's head went viral. 'I did not blatantly haul off and kick this horse as it appears in the video. That was not my intention at all,' Frehner wrote. 'It was done simply to get the horse in a better position so that he could breathe and get up and move so I could again try to anesthetize.' 'But yes, I did kick him right in the chi,n and I very much do apologize and wish this never happened,' he wrote. In his apology, Frehner said he was attempting to reposition the horse to help it breathe, but recognized he had kicked the horse. He said he wished the situation had never happened. He was the subject of an investigation by Nye County deputies for animal cruelty following a complaint from the horse's owner. Records 8 News Now obtained showed the Nevada State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners placed Frehner's license on probation in 2016. He agreed to a year-long license suspension. The reasons for discipline included handwriting his medical records onto the back of invoices or call logs. He also gave prescription medicine to clients in 'plastic baggies,' without verifying how much medicine was handed out. A woman named Mary, who spoke with 8 News Now, said she's had negative experiences with Frehner and witnessed his actions first-hand. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
03-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Welcome to Lake Mead, dubbed 'Dead Body Soup,' the US park more dangerous than Yosemite or the Grand Canyon
When a Nevada veterinarian faced viral backlash for being caught on camera kicking a horse, he vanished into America's deadliest park. Facing felony animal abuse charges, Dr. Shawn Frehner disappeared on April 6, leaving his keys, cell phone and wallet inside his truck behind at the water's edge. Eleven days later, on April 17, his body was discovered in the park's strikingly blue waters – grimly nicknamed 'Dead Body Soup' by visitors – and was identified solely through dental records. He is not the first human life that Lake Mead has claimed. Declared the country's first National Recreation Area in 1936 it has also become a place where death is a way of life. 'You'd be amazed by the number of people who show up asking where are all the bodies,' said Emily Montague, who has worked for nine years greeting visitors to the park. From 2013 to 2023, the park officially averaged about 21 deaths a year, far surpassing those at the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, which rank as the second and third deadliest parks with an average of 13 and 11 fatalities each year, respectively. But the real number is likely way higher as some people are never reported missing and it can take decades for a corpse to be found in the water, washed up on shore or spotted in the wilderness. Dr. Shawn Frehner faced severe backlash online after he was caught on video kicking a horse named Big Red in the head The lake is actually a reservoir – the largest in the US, formed after the federal government built Hoover Dam on the Colorado River about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas. Now part of the National Park Service, the Lake Mead National Recreation Area includes lakes Mead and Mohave, along with 1.5 million acres of mountains, canyons, valleys and shoreline in Southern Nevada and Northwestern Arizona. In the lead-up to his death, Frehner posted his final Facebook post defending his actions in the video, taken by the horse''s owner Shawna Gonzalez, claiming it was misleading while also apologizing for his actions. Investigators have yet to say whether they believe Frehner took his own life, met with an accident or suffered foul play. But if Frehner's death is confirmed a suicide, as suspected, it would be just one in a long string in the park. The bodies of bankrupt gamblers, cuckolded spouses, depressed teens and terminally ill patients have been found in its water and along its shoreline. Several people have also jumped to their deaths from Hoover Dam and off a bridge next to it that's 1,500 feet from the lake. A tour guide leading a group on that bridge Saturday told that suicide is the main topic of many customers' questions. 'They read the news, they see the bridge, the gigantic dam, the huge body of water and they wonder, who's offed themselves here,' he said. 'It's like a weird fascination.' Other deaths have also piqued visitors' curiosity, especially those involving four sets of human remains discovered in 2022. Investigators were able to identify the second, third and fourth sets found as those of Donald Smith of North Las Vegas, who drowned in 1974; Claude Russell Pensinger of Las Vegas, who disappeared in 1998; and Thomas Erndt of Las Vegas, who was reported to have drowned in 2002. But it is the first set that most fascinates visitors. Stuffed in a metal barrel, the remains are believed to be those of a homicide victim who died of a gunshot wound in the mid-1970s or early '80s. His body parts were badly decomposed, making DNA difficult to extract and leaving the victim unidentified and known to locals three years later simply as 'barrel guy'. Investigators say the drum in which his body was found was probably dropped hundreds of yards off the shore, but exposed in 2022 when the water dramatically receded. His mysterious killing has triggered speculation about possible mob involvement. 'Every time we come, we joke that we'll find a barrel,' said Sheena Hernandez while visiting the Lake Mead Marina with friends on Saturday. A woman with a yacht at the marina told us that when she's alone on the lake, she sometimes hears voices speaking to her from the water. 'I don't normally believe in that stuff like things being haunted,' she said. 'But the bodies have me spooked.' The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department expects more remains to turn up in the lake as the Colorado River flows continue to wane from overuse and climate change and as the shoreline keeps receding. The water is now 1,062 above sea level, down from the lake's full pool at 1,229 feet. That 167-foot drop is visible on discoloration along canyon walls known as the 'bathtub ring' and can be seen in shocking detail by satellite images. Scientists, water planners, politicians, climate activists and student groups from around the world make trips to Lake Mead, snapping pictures of the ring as glaring proof of climate change and visible evidence of urgent flaws in Western water policy. Receding lake water has exposed other objects of interest, including a World War II Higgins landing craft believed to have sunk in the lake in the 1940s. Also now visible are the ruins of St. Thomas, a frontier town founded by members of the Mormon Church that was covered by 60 feet of water after river flows started filling up behind the dam. Sunken fishing boats, discarded tires, rusted methamphetamine lab equipment, camping, fishing and snorkeling gear, liquor bottles, even Pringles cans and sunscreen tubes also have been laid bare as water levels have dropped, rangers say. A diver for the Parks Service, who asked not to be named, told he is most creeped out by the occasional sight of a single dress shoe in the water. 'You'll see a man's oxford or a woman's high heel and wonder who wears shoes like that to a reservoir and how in the hell did they lose it,' he said. At least 300 people have drowned at Lake Mead, and those accidents aren't slowing down despite declining water levels. Gregory Bell, a 58-year-old real estate agent, went paddleboarding last August with his wife and two other couples. It was a Saturday evening and they wanted to watch the sunset from the water when a sudden storm blew in. Five in their group struggled to stay afloat as fierce winds and heavy waves slammed down on them. Bell, a strong swimmer and accomplished athlete, was the only one who didn't drift to shore. A search crew found his body four days later near the Boulder Islands, the same place Frehner's body was discovered last week. Bell's widow, Serena Bell, told that she and her friends spent at least two hours calling for help that night before a rescue team arrived. She said there were no rangers on duty nearby nor warnings by the Parks Service about the storm. 'There's not enough resources out there, not enough processes in place. That's why it's the deadliest national park in the country,' she said. Several visitors have drowned while trying to save others. Kenneth Funk jumped into the lake to rescue his wife, Annette, after she was washed overboard when a wave struck the front of the family's 20-foot pontoon boat in 2004. A decomposing torso found in the lake 18 years later was believed to be his, but DNA tests ruled out that possibility, and his body still hasn't been found. Many other drownings and accidents stem from people swimming, paddleboarding or boating while drunk or high on drugs. Some have involved people with little or no experience operating watercraft. Bryce Verhonich of Arizona was found guilty and sentenced to six months in prison last year for a reckless jet skiing accident that killed his 22-year-old passenger, Lily Hatcher. Her body was missing in the water for about a week. Some visitors have died or even killed others by jumping from cliffs on to friends and family members already in the water. 'If you want to see how absolutely stupid people can get, come on down to the lake,' said Kendal Bennett-Jordan, a server at the marina's Boat House Bar and Grill. On Father's Day Weekend in 2023, one person died of an apparent suicide, two by drowning and three in a car accident over the same two days that park rangers rescued 23 people and responded to multiple criminal incidents, including drug use, theft and assault. A few weeks ago, rangers had to close multiple trails after a hiker died and 33 others were rescued amid extreme heat over the course of two days. Among those rescued were 18 students, including three with special needs, in a group that was not prepared for the conditions. Rangers are especially worried about short-staffing this year in light of the Trump administration's workforce reduction. DOGE efforts are believed to have eliminated at least a dozen Lake Mead workers since February, although the Parks Service has not yet responded to questions about the specifics of the layoffs. DOGE efforts are believed to have eliminated at least a dozen Lake Mead workers since February, although the Parks Service has not yet responded to questions about the specifics of the layoffs Meanwhile, park personnel say they are distracted with other tasks such as breaking up fights on campgrounds or between boaters and intervening in domestic disputes in which one partner is booted from a car driven by another and forced to walk alone in the heat. Last year, a fire at one of the lake's main marinas burned 37 boats, many of which sank and needed salvaging. Park personnel are asked to give water to thirsty visitors, sunscreen to those with sunburns and shade to those experiencing sunstroke. They're expected to warn swimmers not to submerge their heads in hot springs known to host brain-eating amoeba. And they're supposed to bust visitors who break park rules, which happens often. Last year, park staff was tasked with identifying two men videotaped at a popular hiking spot pushing red boulders off an iconic rock formation. 'Why would you even do something like this, like why on Earth would you do this?' John Haynes, then the park's spokesman, told Fox5. 'It takes millions of years for these rock formations to form and then you get a couple idiots out there that are destroying all that work of nature. 'It's pretty appalling – kind of disgusting.' The vandals, Wyatt Fain and Payden Cosper, were ultimately identified and arrested. A jury found each guilty this month of injury and depredation of government property. They face a maximum penalty of one year in prison, a $100,000 fine, or both when sentenced in July. On her way home after the interview with Montague was hit by a driver turning toward the lake. The other driver's car flipped over, but the park worker was able to get away with only a few injuries As Emily Montague, the park attendant, tells it, some visitors show a surprising lack of civility when she asks for their $25 entrance fee. She said she gets called an a**hole and the c-word on a regular basis. Part of Montague's job involves consoling family members while rangers conduct searches for their missing loved ones. 'They come crying, desperate, wondering where their people went. It happens a lot and it's so hard to deal with. I really feel for them,' she said. After our interview, Montague hopped in her car and was about two minutes into her drive home when she was hit by a driver turning toward the lake for some alone time and reflection. Both cars were totaled, and the other flipped on its side, trapping that driver inside for the hour it took for the emergency crew to arrive, saw open her door and release her. Montague walked easily away from the wreck despite a few minor injuries but was still shaken. 'Now I'm the one who needs consoling,' she said.
