Two Chapman University students arrested after police said they took a turkey from Orange High School’s farm were sentenced to probation on Thursday – days after the bird was euthanized.

Tim the Turkey was taken in April and found wandering in a neighborhood a day later, smelling of beer and missing several chest feathers, said Patti Williams, an agriculture teacher at Orange High.

The bird was returned to the school but never recovered and had to be euthanized this week, Williams said.

The two students accused of taking the turkey – Steven Koressel, 23, and Richard Melbye, 21 – were charged with one misdemeanor count of entering an animal enclosure without consent.

The pair pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor and were sentenced to one year of informal probation. They also were ordered to serve one day in jail, 100 hours of community service and pay $223 in restitution to the Saddleback Animal Hospital, according to court records.

Their attorney, Lolita Kirk, said the incident was a strong lesson for the two, who both had no criminal history.

“These are fine young men and they have a bright future; they made an error in judgment and they are extremely remorseful for their actions,” Kirk said. “If they could turn back time, they would.”

The men couldn’t really explain why they decided to take the turkey, she said. Koressel and Melbye, still students at Chapman, received administrative discipline.

After Tim the Turkey went missing, Williams put up a Facebook bulletin that included a picture of 5-year-old Tim. Around 2 p.m. that Sunday, Tim was found wandering near Glassell Street and Chapman Avenue.

Williams told the Register that the bird had a black, sticky substance on him and was missing several chest feathers. He also had bruises, chest swelling, trouble breathing, abrasions to his head and chest, and a broken toe, she said, and part of his tail was missing.

Speaking at the farm just after Thursday’s proceedings, Williams said Tim’s injuries from the kidnapping caused him to continue degrading until euthanizing the bird was the only humane option.

“He never fully recovered,” Williams said. “There was a lot of damage done to his body.”

Williams said Tim’s crop – part of the turkey’s esophagus – was punctured at some point during his kidnapping: He had trouble digesting food properly, leading to further complications.

Students had to burp Tim to stop him from swelling up with gas.

“As long as there are parties going on around here from Chapman students, I’m never going to sleep well,” Williams said.

Contact the writer: kpuente@ocregister.com