He-kidnapped-ex-girlfriend-tortured-and-killed-29-dogs-forcing-her-to-watch

With thanks to Hancock County, West Virginia law enforcement personnel for their arrest and detainment of an extreme animal abuser, it is STRONGLY requested that the Prosecuting Attorney and judge in this case to substantially increase punishment for this perpetrator and apply special circumstances as fitting to charges of kidnapping and domestic abuse.

This is a brief recap of what may be one of the worst cases of animal abuse in this country; it is one of the reasons for initiating this petition.  Jeff Nally, Jr., a 19 year-old resident of New Cumberland, West Virginia, is accused of torturing and killing 29 dogs.  Further, his girlfriend was held captive inside his home where Nally allegedly rationed and/or denied her food and meals for days. She was forced to watch and participate in his various acts of torturing puppies and dogs; and then made to clean up the remains.  Police say that Nally derived pleasure from observing her discomfort.  According to Chief Deputy Sheriff Todd Murray, Nally mutilated, skinned, anything imaginable, everything from a crossbow, to a drill, saws to hammers, all done inside his home.  Murray said Nally used classified ads, claiming also to use Craigslist, to locate and obtain the dogs and puppies, often persuading people he'd provide a good home.  Some of the animals were buried in the suspect's yard and some were wrapped in plastic. Most victims were puppies.  The three dogs found alive were handed over to county officials and quickly adopted.

Murray said Nally was arrested by a SWAT team late Wednesday after the mother of his ex-girlfriend called State Police. The woman said Nally was holding her daughter against her will, and said Nally had threatened to kill anyone who tried to arrest him. At present and with many thanks to Chief Murray and his staff, Nally is in the Northern Regional Jail held on $450,000 bail. He faces 29 counts of animal cruelty, one count of domestic battery and one count of kidnapping.

Members of Nally's family were asked if they believed the allegations being made in the case were true.  They were either unable or unwilling to provide any answer.  However, Nally's grandmother conceded that her grandson suffers from bipolar disorder and ADHD; and that he was easily angered.  That the family claims he never showed any abuse to family pets is subject to intense question. 

It has been proven that animal abuse all too often leads to domestic abuse and/or serial killing.  The anti-animal abuse laws, penalties and sentencing guidelines in most states of this country, including West Virginia, are pitifully lenient and amount to no more than the proverbial slap on the wrist.  In part, it reads: 

Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment.  Article 8. Crimes Against Chastity, Morality and Decency.

 61-8-19. Cruelty to animals; penalties; exclusions.

(b) A person who intentionally tortures, or mutilates or maliciously kills an animal, or causes, procures or authorizes any other person to torture, mutilate or maliciously kill an animal, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in a correctional facility not less than one nor more than five years and be fined not less than one thousand dollars nor more than five thousand dollars. For the purposes of this subsection, "torture" means an action taken for the primary purpose of inflicting pain.

To the extent that can be determined, there seems to be no provision for finding such abusers as Nally to be criminally insane and upon such determination, receive sentencing to a maximum security mental institution until such time when evaluated capable to understand the crimes stand trial.  The above-described Nally case is a classic and foreboding example of animal abusers graduating toward domestic abuse.  And such behavior is becoming rampant in this country. 

Calling your attention to the National District Attorneys Association paper presented March 3, 2006, entitled Talking points; Animal Cruelty and its Link To Domestic Violence, Child and Elder Abuse states in part:  We need to recognize the strong link between people who abuse animals and also commit acts of domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse and other violence. 

It is alleged that Nally obtained his torture victims from free to a good home advertisements in newspapers, as well as heavily accessing Craigslist.  Therefore in addition to urging Hancock County officials to prosecute Nally to the fullest extent of the law, this petition also strongly requests Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist, and Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster to eliminate and or prevent advertising pets free to a good home.  We also encourage J. Norbert Federspiel, Director, W.Va. Division of Justice and Community Services, to bring public awareness to the ever increasing problem of animal abuse, domestic abuse, and the ultimate graduation into serial killing, as well as the need to revise and substantially strengthen penalties for such acts.