Dr. Shawn Frehner, a Las Vegas-based veterinarian, was found dead in Lake Mead last month, a tragic end to a story that began with a viral video of him kicking a horse in the face. The Clark County Coroner and Medical Examiner have ruled his death a suicide, stating that Frehner injected himself with the euthanasia drug Pentobarbital before drowning in the lake, which stretches from Nevada to Arizona.
Frehner, 56, vanished on April 6, shortly after the video of him physically abusing a horse he was supposed to be treating went viral. His identity was confirmed through dental records, according to the coroner’s office.
Following the video’s release, Frehner took to Facebook to apologize and explain his actions. He claimed that the kick was not intended as abuse, but rather an attempt to reposition the horse so it could breathe and move, allowing him to administer anesthesia. Despite his explanation, the video sparked widespread outrage, and Frehner was facing felony charges for animal abuse at the time of his disappearance.
The horse’s owner, Shawna Gonzalez, expressed shock and sadness at Frehner’s disappearance and subsequent death. She had hoped for his safe return, despite the controversy surrounding the video. “It’s horrible, I never, ever wished this upon him, I never wished this upon anybody,” Gonzalez said during the search for Frehner.
Frehner’s father had expressed concern for his son’s safety following the backlash from the video. After nearly two weeks of searching, authorities found Frehner’s truck abandoned near Hemenway Harbor at Lake Mead, with his wallet, keys, and phone inside. His body was recovered from the water near Boulder Islands on April 18 by the National Park Service, the lead agency in the search.
The horse that was kicked in the video received treatment for abrasions to the skull. It is unclear when exactly Frehner took his own life.