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Jury returns guilty verdict at animal torture, neglect trial
By Joe Benedict/MVM News Network
KEOSAUQUA - A jury in Van Buren County District Court found Terry Lee Wilson, 28, of Fort Madison guilty of animal torture and animal neglect after about three hours of deliberation Friday afternoon.
Wilson's case was heard in Van Buren County on a change of venue after the first trial in Fort Madison ended in a deadlocked jury. The word mistrial was again floating around at this trial, but the jury finally came up with a unanimous decision.
About a half-day's worth of evidence was given from witnesses starting on Friday with a redirect to Fort Madison Police Officer Jamie Carle from Lee County Prosecutor Gordon Liles.
Liles asked Carle if Wilson had admitted to lying to the officer at the trial in January. Carle said Wilson had told Carle he'd slit his dog's throat on July 10. In the January trial, Wilson said he'd lied about that.
Liles asked if that meant the rest of Wilson's statement was in question. Carle said yes.
But defense attorney Clinton Boddicker wouldn't allow the jury to question the rest of Wilson's story. He asked Carle if several other witnesses had been told the same story by Wilson. Carle said yes. Boddicker then asked if that meant those parts of the story were not in question and Carle said he guessed not.
Boddicker also asked why Wilson wasn't charged on July 10. Carle explained that in some circumstances, he and the police chief ask the county attorney about a charge but it was too late on July 10 to contact his office. Carle left a message and sent a report. He didn't follow up on the call, but an arrest warrant was requested by the county attorney's office and granted on July 13.
Susan Meredith testified that she saw Wilson carrying the dog by the scruff of the neck. She yelled at him to put the dog down, but he did not respond. She said she had the window open a few minutes, but Boddicker asked if it could have been a few seconds. She estimated hearing the dog howl for seven to nine minutes.
Liles asked if he had total control of the dog, an element for “confinement,” and Meredith said yes.
The defense began it's presentation of evidence after lunch with veterinarian Dr. Donald Shannon. Shannon testified that he had examined the dog which had become a “pile of maggots” after six days in the ground in the July heat.
He said there was one possible stab wound, but couldn't be sure the wound was made by the weapon. He said there was no way to tell if the dog had been stabbed multiple times or once. Both the prosecution and defense used that statement as an argument.
Liles asked Shannon why he doesn't stab dogs to put them to sleep for people. Liles said using euthanasia is as fast as turning a light switch off and the least painful method of death.
Raymond Wilson, the defendant's father, said the dog came up to his knee and weighed 35-40 pounds, about 20 pounds more than most other witnesses had claimed. He said the dog had been aggressive with him while in his garage.
Liles asked why he hadn't offered to drive his son to dispose of the dog. Raymond said he didn't have a driver's license at the time and on that morning, his wife was at work.
Wilson took the stand and told how the dog lunged at him and how he'd pushed furniture to try and trap the dog. Later he found the dog on Rhonda Edgington's porch and took the dog to his back yard.
He told of plunging the sword into Aries' chest without emotion and said it took less than a minute for the dog to die. He said he found no pleasure in the task.
During the cross examination Liles asked what Wilson had lied about besides slitting the dog's throat. Boddicker asked to approach the bench. Judge Emily Dean sent the jury out and the lawyers discussed a prior court ruling about using the word “liar” when questioning a defendant. After a short break, Dean ruled that the testimony would not be stricken from the record, but Liles had made his point.
After the case was given to the jury, Boddicker asked for an acquittal but was interrupted by Keosauqua's tornado siren. Everyone waited in the basement for about an hour until the all clear was given.
The jury came in with a verdict at about 6:30 p.m. Wilson was upset by the verdict.
“Yes, I would (like to comment.),” he said. “It's amazing the police don't do their job, then people get convicted for this s ----.”
As he continued out the door to get in his father's vehicle, “Six days!” he said. “It took them six ------ days.”
It took several days for the Fort Madison police to get a search warrant to exhume the dog after Wilson denied permission. Had the dog been examined earlier, perhaps one stab wound could have been established.
Wilson's case was heard in Van Buren County on a change of venue after the first trial in Fort Madison ended in a deadlocked jury. The word mistrial was again floating around at this trial, but the jury finally came up with a unanimous decision.
About a half-day's worth of evidence was given from witnesses starting on Friday with a redirect to Fort Madison Police Officer Jamie Carle from Lee County Prosecutor Gordon Liles.
Liles asked Carle if Wilson had admitted to lying to the officer at the trial in January. Carle said Wilson had told Carle he'd slit his dog's throat on July 10. In the January trial, Wilson said he'd lied about that.
Liles asked if that meant the rest of Wilson's statement was in question. Carle said yes.
But defense attorney Clinton Boddicker wouldn't allow the jury to question the rest of Wilson's story. He asked Carle if several other witnesses had been told the same story by Wilson. Carle said yes. Boddicker then asked if that meant those parts of the story were not in question and Carle said he guessed not.
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Susan Meredith testified that she saw Wilson carrying the dog by the scruff of the neck. She yelled at him to put the dog down, but he did not respond. She said she had the window open a few minutes, but Boddicker asked if it could have been a few seconds. She estimated hearing the dog howl for seven to nine minutes.
Liles asked if he had total control of the dog, an element for “confinement,” and Meredith said yes.
The defense began it's presentation of evidence after lunch with veterinarian Dr. Donald Shannon. Shannon testified that he had examined the dog which had become a “pile of maggots” after six days in the ground in the July heat.
He said there was one possible stab wound, but couldn't be sure the wound was made by the weapon. He said there was no way to tell if the dog had been stabbed multiple times or once. Both the prosecution and defense used that statement as an argument.
Liles asked Shannon why he doesn't stab dogs to put them to sleep for people. Liles said using euthanasia is as fast as turning a light switch off and the least painful method of death.
Raymond Wilson, the defendant's father, said the dog came up to his knee and weighed 35-40 pounds, about 20 pounds more than most other witnesses had claimed. He said the dog had been aggressive with him while in his garage.
Liles asked why he hadn't offered to drive his son to dispose of the dog. Raymond said he didn't have a driver's license at the time and on that morning, his wife was at work.
Wilson took the stand and told how the dog lunged at him and how he'd pushed furniture to try and trap the dog. Later he found the dog on Rhonda Edgington's porch and took the dog to his back yard.
He told of plunging the sword into Aries' chest without emotion and said it took less than a minute for the dog to die. He said he found no pleasure in the task.
During the cross examination Liles asked what Wilson had lied about besides slitting the dog's throat. Boddicker asked to approach the bench. Judge Emily Dean sent the jury out and the lawyers discussed a prior court ruling about using the word “liar” when questioning a defendant. After a short break, Dean ruled that the testimony would not be stricken from the record, but Liles had made his point.
After the case was given to the jury, Boddicker asked for an acquittal but was interrupted by Keosauqua's tornado siren. Everyone waited in the basement for about an hour until the all clear was given.
The jury came in with a verdict at about 6:30 p.m. Wilson was upset by the verdict.
“Yes, I would (like to comment.),” he said. “It's amazing the police don't do their job, then people get convicted for this s ----.”
As he continued out the door to get in his father's vehicle, “Six days!” he said. “It took them six ------ days.”
It took several days for the Fort Madison police to get a search warrant to exhume the dog after Wilson denied permission. Had the dog been examined earlier, perhaps one stab wound could have been established.
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Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of dailygate.com.
lou wrote on May 13, 2008 11:32 AM:
" Mr. bolonga , since you seem to be running website. We all know its a dog. Think about it, for your not getting it either. "
Bologna wrote on May 11, 2008 9:43 AM:
" Yep, you are right, but I dont beleive food aggression was the only problem with the dog. I think he had other problems, my whole point being that the dog was unstable and unsafe and was dealt with. My problem is not with the dog anyway, my whole point is it was a DOG, not a person. People have more ompassion for a dog than they do for a human being, which is sick and wrong. "
did you read anything about this wrote on May 11, 2008 12:27 AM:
" the dog was food aggressive which many animals are unless the necessary steps are taken to keep it from happening such as taking food away from the dog as it is eating multiple times while it is a puppy until it learns that it is YOUR food, you just allow the dog to have it. Or it can be caused by not feeding the dog enough, which definitely could have been the case here. "
Bologna wrote on May 10, 2008 9:45 PM:
" Being abused usually makes a dog timid, a fear biter. The type of dog that charges when you turn your back. "
Amy wrote on May 10, 2008 11:08 AM:
" It also could have been abused by the owner that made it mean and aggressive!!!! "
Bologna wrote on May 10, 2008 12:31 AM:
" Could have been some health issue, or bad genetics, such as imbreeding. Could have been a dominate dog that needed more training than he received. Any number of reasons can make a dog aggressive. "
Spencer wrote on May 9, 2008 12:51 PM:
" Actually I think the question here is WHY was the animal aggressive??? I think we know who to blame and he was just found guilty for his ill care of this animal!!! "
Bologna wrote on May 8, 2008 9:21 AM:
" One more person who thinks that an animal is the same as a person. Thats what I would do, give an overly aggressive animal to someone else, thats always a good idea. It sounds to me like someone watches too much dog whisperer. He did euthanize the dog, plain and simple that is one less mean dog to worry about getting loose and attacking people. "
anonymous wrote on May 7, 2008 2:24 PM:
" There are many more humane ways to deal with an aggressive animal....first off, he could have tried giving the puppy away, put an add out in the newspaper....take the puppy to an animal shelter.....find someone!!! And if it came down to it, uethenize the poor animal....obviously the puppy was mean for a reason! Which probaly had a lot to do with his owner.... Puppies just arent born mean...the way you raise your pet and the way you treat your pet has a lot to do with the way they react to you!
I dont feel a bit sorry for this man. He is one less person I won't be worrying about! He is a sick minded individual who needed help....I hope he gets all the help he needs in prison! WHAT A SHAME!
HE should be convicted of manslaughter! "
I dont feel a bit sorry for this man. He is one less person I won't be worrying about! He is a sick minded individual who needed help....I hope he gets all the help he needs in prison! WHAT A SHAME!
HE should be convicted of manslaughter! "
none wrote on May 7, 2008 1:05 AM:
" you say the prosecution got to the jury? wow....somebody has been watchin a little too much cable t.v.......also, you say putting him in jail will only satisfy sadistic minds? how about the sadistic mind that decided to slice a puppy with a dang sword...you think his mind will be satisfied? i believe that it was gandhi that once said "you can judge a civilization by the way that it treats its animals".....this guy is a psycho and deserves jail time just like michael vick....im tired of reading ppl whining about the police and the court systems doing their jobs.....would you like a world without authority? can someone say total chaos. "
Bologna wrote on May 7, 2008 12:44 AM:
" What is wrong with this world is that people have more compassion for a dog then a person. I personally like poor defenseless dog. Correct me if I am wrong but dogs have teeth, and if they bite you it hurts, and some dogs have killed people. I also like how people like to say that if you hit or kill an aggressive dog, then you must be a horrible father. IT WAS A DOG "
disgusted wrote on May 6, 2008 3:02 PM:
" This POS belongs in Jail. This is just the tip of the iceberg for this Jerk! I could only imagine his arrest record. I hope he becomes someone's "girlfriend in jail". And before anyone get angry about what I have written, just think how Jeffery Dahmer got started......Animal Torture! "
Amy wrote on May 5, 2008 2:07 AM:
" Anyone angry enough to kill a puppy, just because it got aggressive around food needs anger management too. Come on people, I have seen cats here get aggressive around my food, and they are not starving animals either. Does not mean I will stab one of them to death because they wanted the food. There are ways to deal with it, don't allow the animal around where you are eating! Tie it up outside with his own food while you are eating inside. This whole deal with Mr. Wilson got out of hand, and he took a poor defenseless animal's life. If he cannot control his anger around a puppy, God help those children living with him. We are supposed to be civil people, that is why we liive in a civilization setting. If an animal truly gets out of hand, then call the law for help. I think this Mr. Wilson let his anger over-ride and control him. I seriously doubt a puppy being aggressive over some food is a threat to one's life. As for you "felony", doesn't matter if you are a felon or not, you CANNOT shoot a gun in city limts! That is reserved for the Police officers only. You do have options, call the police for assistance! They will take into consideration whether the animal is a threat or not. This whole ordeal could have been prevented. Some people just like to take the law into their own hands. What would have happened if one of those children became hysterical because Daddy was going after the puppy with a sword of some kind, and then Daddy accidently injured or killed one of his kids in the process! The man was not thinking! That is what is wrong with this world, people act before they think! "
Bologna wrote on May 3, 2008 2:16 PM:
" I think it is sad when we start caring more for animals than we do for people. It was a dog, not a person. "
felony wrote on May 3, 2008 11:57 AM:
"
I dont know if this person is a felon or not . Think about it if you were a felon and could not own a gun . How would you kill a dog if you had too. There really isnt to many options . "
I dont know if this person is a felon or not . Think about it if you were a felon and could not own a gun . How would you kill a dog if you had too. There really isnt to many options . "
baker wrote on Apr 30, 2008 10:30 AM:
" I am in aggreement with that statement as well. That one juror found him guilty in the first trial and in the second all of the jury found him guilty. Something smells fishy, and I don't think it is the Mississippi.
I think the prosecution office got to the jury some how to get the verdict he wanted. I just hope he sleeps well knowing he took a father away from his children, which he loves , a brother away, and a most dedicated son away from his parents. Putting him in jail will only be satisfying to those who have sadistic minds and cannot mind their own business. In other words, these old farts have nothing better to do than to ruin a mans life. Probably because they have no life of their own. Get a life and leave Mr. Wilson get back to what may be left of his. These paople do not seem to get involved in matter that realy shoud be looked into such as drug abuse, robbery, and killings. I guess they do not have the passion for someone that kills a person over someone protecting his children by killing a dog. "
I think the prosecution office got to the jury some how to get the verdict he wanted. I just hope he sleeps well knowing he took a father away from his children, which he loves , a brother away, and a most dedicated son away from his parents. Putting him in jail will only be satisfying to those who have sadistic minds and cannot mind their own business. In other words, these old farts have nothing better to do than to ruin a mans life. Probably because they have no life of their own. Get a life and leave Mr. Wilson get back to what may be left of his. These paople do not seem to get involved in matter that realy shoud be looked into such as drug abuse, robbery, and killings. I guess they do not have the passion for someone that kills a person over someone protecting his children by killing a dog. "
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Amy Thomas wrote on May 15, 2008 12:00 PM: