Justice for Tortured Kittens, Frozen and Horribly Killed.
- by: Ami Kathleen and Janet Tucker, IDA Supporters and Friends of Animals Care Community
- recipient: The Honorable Charles E. Coulson, Prosecuting Attorney, Lake County
Justice for Kittens stomped, chopped in half, frozen.
Convicted!
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Judge unable to rule on accused cat killer
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Update:
Whitlow, 22, remains in jail while his case is bound over to the Lake County Common Pleas Court.
The three surviving kittens, who are about 3 weeks old, along with their mother and father, are in the custody of the Lake County Humane Society, said agency Executive Director Candace Hertzel.
"They are doing fine," she said.
Hertzel was originally concerned there may have been other injuries after Whitlow admitted to police that he threw the other kittens against the wall, Police Lt. Bill Gutowski said.
She said the Humane Society plans to have the adult cats neutered and spayed, with the owner's permission.
The cats' owner, Miriam Couch, 34, sat in the rear of the courtroom with her two daughters, Taylor and Breanna.
It was Breanna, 8, who first found the mutilated kittens inside the home on East 359th Street, Couch said.
Couch began crying during an interview with a television station prior to the hearing.
"This is just ... all my life I've rescued animals," Couch said. "I mean, the kids don't kill spiders because you're not supposed to kill spiders."
Taylor, 15, described the situation as "disturbing."
Couch said $1,200 worth of money orders was taken, along with some of her personal jewelry.
Her family, which had been renting the home, was set to move out Saturday after Whitlow had purchased the home.
Police said Whitlow had been drinking beer in the back yard with three friends before he entered the home and committed the crimes.
Whitlow blamed his intoxication for the acts, Gutowski said.
Whitlow faces felony charges of burglary and tampering with evidence. The charge of cruelty to animals is a misdemeanor because it is his first offense.
Couch said the family had planned to keep the black kitten that was killed, but she was not sure if they would keep the other three or let the Humane Society find them homes.
Judge Larry Allen added a stipulation to Whitlow's $15,000 cash bond, stating Whitlow was to have no contact with any children younger than 12 if he is released from jail.
His lawyer is Maryellen O'Brien of the Lake County Public Defender's office .
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When Eastlake, Ohio police arrived at a burglary scene on May 30,
they were stunned to find tortured, mutilated kittens inside the home.
Two kittens inside lay dead - one soaked with water and left in a
freezer, another crushed and cut in two, its pieces found in separate
rooms.
Three others, who all survived, had been thrown against a wall.
William Whitlow, 22, of Concord Township, is accused of breaking
into the home that night, stealing jewelry and cash. Sitting around a
fire in the back yard, Whitlow reportedly drank beer with friends
before entering the rear of the home because he wanted water to put out
the fire.
According to reports, when Whitlow's friends asked him to stop, he soaked one in a pot and put it in the freezer then stomped another with his foot. He used a kitchen knife to cut the crushed kitten in two,
according to officials. Whitlow told police he was intoxicated and
"doesn't really know what he did."
torture and death is prosecuted to the maximum extent of the law and
that Whitlow if covicted, he recieves meaningful jail time, heavy
fines, and mandatory psychological counseling
We must voice our opinion and our horror at such violence. A life
should not be so easily mutilated and taken without severe punishment
and alcohol consuption is NO EXCUSE!
As you may know, the
connection between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence has been
established for many years. FBI Supervisory Special Agent Allen
Brantley was quoted as saying "Animal cruelty... is not a harmless
venting of emotion in a healthy individual; this is a warning sign."
Whitlow's actions in this case meet several of the factors that are
considered high-risk for future violence against humans, as outlined by Dr. Randall Lockwood.
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