The grieving mother of a 17-year-old boy who died under mysterious circumstances at a Nebraska hog farm is demanding answers, amid accusations that officials neglected a thorough investigation. The farm in question was founded by the state's governor and is operated by his daughter.
A Tragic Discovery on the Farm
Zach Panther was found dead on 1 April last year, just six weeks after starting a part-time maintenance job at Beaver Valley Pork in St. Edward, Nebraska. The small town has a population of roughly 700 and lies about two hours west of Omaha.
His supervisor discovered him on the floor of a barn. Moments before, the teenager had been using a chemical-laden spray foam to seal cracks. No other employees witnessed the incident, and authorities reported no immediate signs of foul play.
Political Connections and a Stalled Inquiry
Beaver Valley Pork is part of the network of Pillen Family Farms, a business founded by Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen in 1993. Since January 2020, the company's co-chief executive has been the governor's daughter, Sarah Pillen.
Government investigations into Zach's death failed to determine a cause and were reportedly hampered by mistakes and poor information sharing. His mother, Justy Riggs-Panther, told The New York Times, 'My son is dead. There ought to be answers.'
She claims the initial response was lacking. The Boone County Sheriff's Office allegedly only examined the room where Zach died. Furthermore, the farm is accused of blocking timely testing from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Obstacles and Unanswered Questions
A critical blood test for spray foam chemicals was disrupted when a laboratory accidentally destroyed the usable sample. Sarah Pillen stated the company 'fully cooperated' with the investigation and reported the death to OSHA immediately.
However, she was also accused of refusing entry to an OSHA industrial hygienist, a claim she countered by saying they simply requested the agency follow established biosecurity protocols.
The political connection was noted internally. In an email last April, OSHA's Omaha director, Matthew Thurlby, wrote: 'It is important to note that Pillen Family Farms is affiliated with Governor Jim Pillen of Nebraska. This is the family business.'
Zach had joked to his mother that the farm was held together by 'duct tape and spray foam.' She recalled seeing him remove pieces of orange foam from his arms on multiple occasions. The product, 'Great Stuff,' contains isocyanate, a hazardous chemical that can cause skin irritation and breathing difficulties.
Despite this, OSHA closed its inquiry in September, stating an allergic reaction to the foam was 'unlikely' to have caused the death and issued no workplace violations. The Department of Labor said the investigation was 'supported by multiple consultations with medical experts.'
More than a year later, Zach's mother remains desperate for clarity. 'The idea that maybe it could have been preventable is really intolerable,' Riggs-Panther said. 'But how do you know what to do to keep it from happening again when you don't know what happened in the first place?'
