Inset: Ariela Thran (Cortland County District Attorney’s Office). Background: Patricia Halverson’s property in Solon, N.Y., where she was found dead in December 2023 (WBNG/YouTube).
An upstate New York woman is headed to prison after she tried to frame a horse for her mother’s murder — reportedly going so far as to get an equestrian expert to testify at her trial that “horses, by nature can cause harm to human life, if they choose to, in their own way.”
Ariela Thran, 33, of Fulton, was sentenced last week to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of her mom, Patricia “Allison” Halverson, in December 2023 at Halverson’s home in Solon, according to the Cortland County District Attorney. Halverson’s body was discovered “near a piece of farming equipment, exposed to the elements,” which bolstered Thran’s horse claims and arguments in court — along with police not finding a murder weapon, the DA’s office reported.
Solon is located in the central part of the Empire State, around 150 miles west of Albany.
Thran’s story centered around the fact that there were no visible fence structures on the property that would prevent the horses from accessing the area where Halverson’s body was found, according to Adam V. D’Agostino, director of the equestrian program at Alfred University, who reportedly testified during Thran’s eight-day trial in March on the defense’s behalf.
“The horses could roam loose on the property,” D’Agostino said, according to the Cortland Standard newspaper. “I do not feel the consistent industry practices were used on the farm, particularly with the stallions,” he told the court.
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D’Agostino claimed that while he didn’t “know” Halverson’s horses “on an individual basis” — and didn’t visit the farm — he believed the animals were capable of causing fatal injuries by kicking, stomping, or trampling Halverson.
“Those natural behaviors could produce very aggressive behavior,” D’Agostino testified, per the Cortland Standard.
A pathologist testifying for the prosecution said Halverson suffered 16 cuts on the left side and back of her head, a cut on the right side of her forehead, and a bruise on her left eyelid. The expert told the court her injuries were not consistent with one’s a horse would cause.
Thran was facing a minimum of 10 years to life in prison and a maximum of 25 years to life for second-degree murder before her sentencing, according to the DA’s office.
“This was a sad case,” said lead prosecutor Richard Van Donsel in a March statement. “The breakdown of a family like this is tragic.”
Cortland County District Attorney Patrick Perfetti said while it was “largely a circumstantial evidence case,” all signs pointed to Thran.
“This was a particularly challenging case, as no murder weapon was able to be recovered in the investigation,” Perfettie recounted in a statement after Thran’s conviction. “Significantly, some of the most compelling proof was digital evidence and its timing.”
