He was skinned as well. 

Lightning Medicine Cloud was not a person - he was an extremely rare non-albino white buffalo born on 12 May, 2011.  He was murdered on 04 May 2012.  The texas Rangers, Department of Homeland Security, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Hunt County Sheriff's Department and National Indian Council are jointly investigating.  

His father died last month.  Ironically, he was struck by lightning.  

His mother was murdered on 05 May, 2012.  Her death is also being investigated.   

There is much more to this story than there appears to be.  You see, the white buffalo is Wakan.  To be Wakan is to be holy - to be sacred.

To understand the soul deep grief many Native Americans are feeling at the moment over the loss of what most would dismiss as merely "an animal"  will likely take some explaining on my part.   I am not Wakan - however, I know the legends.  I know the stories.   I know the Seven Sacred Ceremonies.  I know, on a cellular level, what was lost.   

A very good explanation of "White Buffalo Calf Woman" and the Seven Sacred Ceremonies can be found here: http://www.kstrom.net/isk/arvol/buffpipe.html  (Although he discusses Miracle - a white buffalo calf born several years ago in either Minnesota or Wisconsin.   Miracle died in 2004 - she was 10.) 

You see, what was lost because someone chose to murder Lightning Medicine Cloud was not simply the animal in question.   What was taken from us was HOPE. 

I sincerely HOPE whoever killed and skinned Lightning Medicine Cloud and killed his mother are buried under a jail somewhere near the depths of the Christian Hell.  At the very least that is the punishment deserved for the crime in question.