Charlie the Tuna Gets Filleted In Oregon

Charlie the Tuna, the beloved mascot for StarKist Tuna has been filleted, red beret and all. The 8-foot statue of Charlie the Tuna in Charleston, Oregon was stolen by two young men, then brutally hacked up when the men realized the authorities were on to them.

The statue, which stood beside the South Slogh Bridge, was swiped by Mark Santos and Marvin Terry Jr. last month. The duo says they planned to wait a while, then place the tuna in a random spot around town so he could be returned unharmed. But, when someone tipped off the sheriff's deputies, Santos and Terry panicked and tried to move Charlie from a hiding place, to a different location.

But they ran into trouble after they discovered the statue wouldn't fit in their truck. Go figure! Who would've thought an 8-foot statue of a tuna fish would be difficult to move!

So, the fish thieves did what anyone would do, they chopped Charlie up to make him easier to move. But, the deputies caught them murdering the fish and charged them with theft and criminal mischief.

Santos and Terry issued a letter of apology to the town. A wake is planned this Saturday for the fish at the town's visitor’s center. Unfortunately, because of the mutilation the men had caused, Charlie's body could not be displayed in an open casket. Instead, his remains will be burned and buried at the center.

Mourners are invited to share stories about their good times with Charlie, and, exchange tuna recipes. It's too bad he wasn't made of real tuna, that would've made one hell of a casserole.