var _sf_startpt=(new Date()).getTime() Pet-Abuse.Com - Animal Abuse Case Details: Two skunks beaten to death, skulls crushed - Clinton, MA (US)
Case Details
Share:

Case Snapshot



CONVICTED: Was justice served?

Please vote on whether or not you feel the sentence in this case was appropriate for the crime. (Be sure to read the entire case and sentencing before voting.)

weak sentence = one star
strong sentence = 5 stars

more information on voting

When you vote, you are voting on whether or not the punishment fit the crime, NOT on the severity of the case itself. If you feel the sentence was very weak, you would vote 1 star. If you feel the sentence was very strong, you would vote 5 stars.

Please vote honestly and realistically. These ratings will be used a a tool for many future programs, including a "People’s Choice" of best and worst sentencing, DA and judge "report cards", and more. Try to resist the temptation to vote 1 star on every case, even if you feel that 100 years in prison isn’t enough.

  • Currently 4.50/5

Case #10818 Rating: 4.5 out of 5



Two skunks beaten to death, skulls crushed
Clinton, MA (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Jul 28, 1999
County: Worcester

Disposition: Convicted

Defendant/Suspect: John D. Rousseau

John D. Rousseau received a one-year prison sentence in 2000 for cruelty to animal charges stemming from a dispute with neighbors. He had bashed two skunks to death with a trash barrel lid and tossed them into a neighbor's yard. 

He was arrested on July 28, 1999 for attacking and killing two skunks and dumping them on his neighbor's property. He was convicted of 2 counts of animal cruelty, 1 count of disturbing the peace, and 1 count of disorderly conduct as the result of the incident and was sentenced to one year in jail. The conviction date was June 16, 2000 under case # 9968CR001223 in Clinton District Court.

In 1996, when Mr. Rousseau was 17, he and a friend were convicted of vandalism at the Florence Sawyer Elementary School construction site in Bolton. He received a six-month sentence.

Before that, police said, he was frequently in trouble for stealing and disabling electrical meters, fireboxes and security alarms.

In 2003, he was charged with arson in connection with a six-month series of fires in four vacant Clinton buildings and a trash bin. Those charges were dismissed last December at the request of the prosecution, after a judge ordered that incriminating statements attributed to Mr. Rousseau be suppressed because he was not taking medications for mental health problems when he allegedly confessed.

While awaiting trial on the arson charges as well as a charge of impersonating a police officer, Mr. Rousseau was under house arrest for nearly a year and ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device. He pleaded guilty to the impersonation charge and was sentenced to the 222 days he had already served under house arrest. The impersonation charge involved Mr. Rousseau tapping into police, fire, and railroad radio frequencies and posing as a Leominster police officer.

Since his release from house arrest, Mr. Rousseau has been quite visible around town. He said he would like to see an increased police presence on High Street, to deal with parking, trash, and drug problems.

References

  • « Back to Search Results
    « MA State Animal Cruelty Map
    « More cases in Worcester County, MA

    Add to GoogleNot sure what these icons mean? Click here.

    Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

    For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.



    Send this page to a friend
© Copyright 2001-2011 Pet-Abuse.Com. All rights reserved. Site Map ¤ Disclaimer ¤ Privacy Policy