Smell leads to 35,000 pounds of rotting chicken and bizarre ransom plot

MISSOULA, Mont. (KPAX) -- A deputy made a foul discovery after an Idaho trucking company reported one of its drivers was holding a truck full of chicken for ransom.

Tens of thousands of pounds of poultry has been baking in an abandoned semi-trailer in Missoula, and officials are not sure how long it's been there.

"It's very unusual, we take reports of recovered stolen vehicles and recovered property quite often but never in this magnitude," Missoula County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Paige Pavalone pointed out.

Temperatures reached into the 90s on Wednesday as 35,000 pounds of chicken sat rotting away in the sun.

"The tractor-trailer company was notified by the driver who took the truck, who said if you want this vehicle back ... you're going to have to send me some money. So, essentially he was holding it for ransom," said Pavalone.



Dixie River Freight, based out of Nampa, Idaho reported their trailer had been stolen nearly a month ago. The contents inside was estimated to be worth about $80,000 while the trailer itself is valued at about $65,000.

"We're not sure how long it's been there. One of our deputies on the patrol shift was called up there to verify that there was in fact stolen tractor-trailer there," said Pavalone.

The Missoula County Sheriff's deputy who investigated also reported that juices were spilling out, potentially making the trailer a bio-hazard.

"I think the biggest problem with where it is right now is that it can cause a nuisance, the odors can cause more and more of a nuisance," Missoula City-County Environmental Health Supervisor Shannon Therriault explained.

Therriault told MTN News that the leaking juices may also contain bacteria like salmonella. The agency wants to move the truck as soon as possible, but there's a hold up.

"The insurance companies ask that it remain in the same location until they are able to investigate it," said Pavalone.

"Normally they could have hooked up a tow truck and towed it to the landfill, but what we're concerned about is - we don't want contents leaking all over the road or on cars," said Therriault.

She added that a local disposal service is working to see if either it can remove some contents at the site, or wrap up the trailer before transport.

It could take another day or a week before this trailer gets moved. The Missoula County Sheriff's Office says they have no idea where the driver may be, and no warrant has been issued for an arrest.