Man jailed for beheading girlfriend's kitten

[almaty 19]

i am from the area where the incident happen..it is in a college town.. and if it happen in the southern part of the state...there would have been no jail time

[Arazia 0]

i am from the area where the incident happen..it is in a college town.. and if it happen in the southern part of the state...there would have been no jail time

Yes there would have been. He was going to jail for parole violation.

[PsychoKat 0]

So it's ok to kill a living breathing thing as long as it's not a human... pretty freaking sick.

I won't angue your position. I simply don't share your opinion on this matter, but that doesn't make you right!

Uling.... Wait... you actually disagree with what Heina said there? You *don't* think it's sick?

#######?

I'm not saying the gentleman's actions are not repulsive. My opinion is the penalty does NOT fit the crime. This man evidently needs help. We have placed more credence on the life of an animal than a human. That's sick. And this is of course my opinion. I don't have the same personalized association to domestic animals as most. I don't see hunters who kill out of season going to jail. The get fined! Some people are ridiculous and fanatical.

The intent of his actions is important in this situation and I disagree about the punishment fitting the crime, his sentence is running concurrently with another for parole violation on an aggrivated battery charge. So it's obvious he has a history of violent behavior, and his actions were of malicious and violent intent toward his girlfriend, whether cat, dog, chicken, goldfish ..etc there's still more to it than just the kitten.

Consider this, in the state of Illinois the stalking laws classify the following as a class 4 felony

720 ILCS 5/12-7.3 Stalking. Amended 2002.

(a) A person commits stalking when he or she, knowingly and without lawful justification, on at least 2 separate occasions follows another person or places the person under surveillance or any combination thereof and:

(1) at any time transmits a threat of immediate or future bodily harm, sexual assault, confinement or restraint and the threat is directed towards that person or a family member of that person; or

(2) places that person in reasonable apprehension of immediate or future bodily harm, sexual assault, confinement or restraint; or

(3) places that person in reasonable apprehension that a family member will receive immediate or future bodily harm, sexual assault, confinement, or restraint.

The penalty for this is 1 - 3 years prison.

He didn't just follow her twice and say something that might make her fear bodily harm, he killed her pet which would be even more threatening in nature.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Considering he killed the animal in retaliation for an argumnent his girlfriend this has domestic violence written all over it -- the punishment might not be strong enough.

I used to work with someone whose boyfriend killed her dog after a big argument -- 2 months later he held a knife to her throat

[Mirorgate 0]

..

but it was a keetooms

[Sheriff Uling 3]

Anyone who uses their power to bring harm to something defenseless and weaker than them is SICK. That includes child molesters and wife beaters, too. And yes I think they should all be put away behind bars. As far as the goldfish comment, my point was INTENT-the man didn't INTEND to hurt the seagull, this man obviously INTENDED to hurt the kitten.

My posting of the seagull story was more as a comparison of people's reactions. I agree that the stories are very different in terms of the intent.

My question about the goldfish was not sarastic. If a two-year sentence for killing a kitten with malicious intent is appropriate, would it also be appropriate for killing a goldfish with malicious intent?

Because of the difficulty in drawing the line among the animals, why not just draw the line between humans and animals?

I can answer the goldfish statement. No one would give a dahamn, which is why people did not take your comment seriously. Call the police on your neighbor and say he killed your goldfish. The cop will pee in his/her pants with laughter and call you a weirdo. People seem to place more value on what’s cute adorable and loveable. To hell with the practicalities! The man needs some serious counseling, community service, and a hefty fine. His actions were evil and ruthless. Domestic terrorism is definitely intolerable and should be taken more seriously.

[Alex+R 0]

Anyone who uses their power to bring harm to something defenseless and weaker than them is SICK. That includes child molesters and wife beaters, too. And yes I think they should all be put away behind bars. As far as the goldfish comment, my point was INTENT-the man didn't INTEND to hurt the seagull, this man obviously INTENDED to hurt the kitten.

My posting of the seagull story was more as a comparison of people's reactions. I agree that the stories are very different in terms of the intent.

My question about the goldfish was not sarastic. If a two-year sentence for killing a kitten with malicious intent is appropriate, would it also be appropriate for killing a goldfish with malicious intent?

Because of the difficulty in drawing the line among the animals, why not just draw the line between humans and animals?

Would killing a goldfish inflict as much suffering on the person and goldfish itself as killing a cat would? I don't think so. Even the accidental death of a goldfish says one thing about its owner, while the accidental death of a dog from neglect says another.

I just don't think we can draw a clear line between humans and animals without acknowledging the nuances. Especially if the treatment of the animal might be indicative of future treatment of other human beings, as it seems to be in this case.

[I'm Gone 60]

I just don't think we can draw a clear line between humans and animals without acknowledging the nuances.

Yes we can people are people and animals are animals. What if it was the woman's pet chicken and he cooked it and ate it. Unless you close down KFC and Popeyes you couldn't say what he did was wrong.

Guy is probably a head case, but killing a cat is not a jailable offence in my book.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

He didn't just kill the cat, he did so to terrorize his girlfriend -- considering he already had an aggravated battery conviction putting him in jail seems just and right

[I'm Gone 60]

He didn't just kill the cat, he did so to terrorize his girlfriend -- considering he already had an aggravated battery conviction putting him in jail seems just and right

And I would still like to know the current status of the relationship and if he is a headcase why was she living with him.

[almaty 19]

i am from the area where the incident happen..it is in a college town.. and if it happen in the southern part of the state...there would have been no jail time

Yes there would have been. He was going to jail for parole violation.

well, that is debateable..i worked for the parole board..and that is not a given with the over crowding of prisons

[PsychoKat 0]

He didn't just kill the cat, he did so to terrorize his girlfriend -- considering he already had an aggravated battery conviction putting him in jail seems just and right

And I would still like to know the current status of the relationship and if he is a headcase why was she living with him.

Sounds like the relationship is off

EDWARDSVILLE - A Bethalto man has pleaded guilty to animal torture and been sentenced to two years in prison for tearing the head off a kitten in the wake of a fight last month with his girlfriend.

Jacob A. Thornton, 21, of the 500 block of West Drive, Bethalto, pleaded guilty last Thursday and was sentenced to prison time, to be served concurrently with a parole violation sentence.

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"It's not often we get prison time for offenses like this, but we are happy when we do," said Stephanee Smith, a spokeswoman for the Madison County State's Attorney's Office.

Thornton was charged in August with felony animal torture for pulling the head off a kitten owned by his girlfriend, a 30-year-old woman who lives at the same address.

Thornton and his girlfriend had a fight the night of July 28, and she left the house. When she returned, she saw the animal's head and body in the front yard.

A veterinarian documented that the head had been forcibly ripped off.

Thornton was out on parole on a 2005 aggravated battery charge when the animal torture occurred.

Four days after he was charged with animal torture, he was also charged with burglary to a motor vehicle. Court records indicate that case is still pending.

He has a criminal history dating back to 2002.

He has been convicted of residential burglary, attempted robbery, probation violation, retail theft, probation violation, theft, resisting arrest, criminal trespass to a vehicle and domestic battery.

There was also an order of protection in effect from Aug. 8 through Aug 24, ordering Thornton to stay away from his girlfriend and her child.

Source

[cheeky^Wolf 0]

Crazy freak, I hope he'll have a hard time in jail. I thought the USA didn't have harsh laws concerning animal abuse, now I feel better knowing that those wicked people get what they deserve.

Slightly but your cat looks just like mine lol

[Arazia 0]

i am from the area where the incident happen..it is in a college town.. and if it happen in the southern part of the state...there would have been no jail time

Yes there would have been. He was going to jail for parole violation.

well, that is debateable..i worked for the parole board..and that is not a given with the over crowding of prisons

Read the article please...

"A judge ordered Thornton's sentence to run concurrently to a prison term related to a parole violation on a 2005 aggravated battery conviction."

He was already going to jail for the parole violation.

In any case, I'm going to drop out of this discussion.

I'm an animal lover. Simple as that, and thinking about this grosses me out.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Well -- it looks like justice has been served