Hardworking boy, 17, died mysteriously while working at Nebraska hog farm owned by governor and run by his daughter... then officials frustrated his mom's efforts to find out why
The OSHA Omaha director, Matthew Thurlby, sent an email last April, in which he wrote: 'It is important to note that Pillen Family Farms is affiliated with Governor Jim Pillen of Nebraska.'
A teenager in Nebraska died under mysterious circumstances while working at a hog farm founded by the state's governor and run by his daughter, with officials accused of neglecting a thorough investigation for his grieving mother.
Zach Panther, 17, was found dead six weeks after starting a job at Beaver Valley Pork farms in St. Edward, Nebraska - a tiny town with about 700 residents roughly two hours west of Omaha - last April 1.
The teen had been sealing cracks in a barn with chemical-laden spray foam before his supervisor found him on the floor, according to The New York Times.
Panther's death was not seen by any other farm employees, and there were no signs of foul play.
Beaver Valley Pork is one of the hog operations linked to Pillen Family Farms, a family business that has owned or operated more than 100 farms across Nebraska.
The company was founded by state governor Jim Pillen in 1993. His daughter Sarah has been the co-chief executive of the business since January 2020, per her public LinkedIn profile.
Investigations by government agencies couldn't determine how the 17-year-old died and were allegedly slowed down by mistakes and poor information sharing.
'My son is dead,' Justy Riggs-Panther, Zach's mom, told the outlet. 'There ought to be answers.'
Zach Panther, 17, was found dead last April 1 at Beaver Valley Pork farms in St. Edward, Nebraska
The farm is linked to Pillen Family Farms, which is operated by Nebraska governor Jim Pillen's daughter Sarah. She has been the co-CEO of the business since January 2020
After her son's death, the sheriff and deputies from the Boone County Sheriff's Office only allegedly examined the room where he died, and not much else.
The Nebraska farm allegedly blocked timely testing from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), while a recommended blood test for spray foam chemicals was also disrupted when the lab accidentally destroyed the usable sample.
Sarah Pillen, the co-CEO of Pillen Family Farms, said the company had 'fully cooperated' with the investigation into Zach's death.
She told OSHA of Zach's death when it happened, which was marked down in the call log by an agency employee with notes including 'had been foaming', 'insulation', 'head injury' and 'poss[ible] medical episode.'
'While we share the frustration that some of the issues which led to his passing remain unanswered, we understand those investigations have been closed, and there have been no safety violations attributable to the workplace,' she told The New York Times.
However, Sarah Pillen was accused of refusing entry to an OSHA industrial hygienist who came to inspect the farm.