Attorneys/Judges
| Prosecutor(s): | James Challen | | Judge(s): | Loyce Lambert-Ryan |
Puppy doused in gasoline, set on fire
Whitehaven, TN (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Jul 29, 2008
County: Shelby
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Dismissed
Persons of Interest:
» Tristan Hathaway
» Vincent Boykin
Case Updates: 4 update(s) available
wo men face aggravated animal cruelty charges for pouring gasoline on a puppy and setting it on fire.
Neighbors who saw two men set the puppy on fire late Tuesday came to the animal's aid, but not before it suffered severe burns.
The puppy, which looks to be about 4 months old, was under sedation Wednesday at the Memphis shelter with burns to its back, all four legs and face.
Vincent Boykin, 20, and Tristan Hathaway, 18, are charged with aggravated cruelty to animals.
Eighteen-year-old Jerrica Agnew and her 16-year-old sister, Jasmine Johnson, saw one man hold the dog down as another set it on fire with a lighter in the 1600 block of Kilarney, west of Airways in Whitehaven.
The girls rushed over and tried to help the dog, which ran down the street on fire and was rolling in the grass.
"It was yelping and crying," said Johnson. "They were low-down to do this to that dog."
The girls took the dog back to their house and gave it water. They called their grandfather, who called police.
Boykin and Hathaway are scheduled for a video arraignment today. No bond has been set.
Both suspects have a history of trouble with the law.
Hathaway was out on bond on charges of aggravated assault and aggravated burglary.
Boykin pleaded guilty to attempted voluntary manslaughter in 2007 for an incident in which he told police he hid in a trash can for hours before shooting a man in the leg.
Memphis Animal Services fields between five and 10 cruelty or neglect calls every week, said administrator Ernest Alexander.
He's grateful that the neighbors were willing to make a statement about the crime so charges could be brought against the men.
"We need people like these witnesses to come forward and report what they see," said Alexander. "We get anonymous calls, but people have to be willing to stand up and testify about what they saw so we can prosecute them."
Case UpdatesA man arrested this summer for allegedly setting fire to a 3-month-old puppy was ordered to jail today for violating his probation from a previous conviction in an attempted manslaughter case.
Animal cruelty charges against Vincent Boykin were dismissed last month for lack of evidence, but his arrest in that case and a judge's ruling today that he likely committed the crime triggered the violation.
The threshold for the probation-violation finding is lower than the beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard required in a trial.
Boykin, 20, testified today in Criminal Court that his former codefendant, Tristan Hathaway, 18, was responsible for dousing the puppy with gasoline and setting it on fire in July at 1605 Kilarney in Whitehaven.
The dog had to be euthanized two weeks later.
Judge Chris Craft ruled that Boykin was in violation of his probation in a case in which he pleaded guilty in May to attempted voluntary manslaughter.
Craft ordered him to begin serving his sentence of one year, nine months and 21 days.
Boykin admitted shooting Quenton Dortch in the leg on March 15 last year at 5474 Vandergreen in Whitehaven after hiding in a trash can for several hours.
Hathaway, meanwhile, is awaiting trial on aggravated assault charges for allegedly firing a shotgun at two men in March. He is free on bond. | Source: Commercial Appeal - Oct 23, 2008
Update posted on Oct 23, 2008 - 10:36PM |
Saying there was not enough proof of identification, a judge on Friday dismissed animal cruelty charges against two men accused of dousing a 3-month-old puppy with gasoline and setting it on fire, leading to its death.
Defendants Tristan Hathaway and Vince Boykin were ordered released from jail, although the case still can be submitted to a grand jury.
General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Loyce Lambert-Ryan made her ruling at the end of a probable-cause hearing in which one of the state's key witnesses was missing and another, who had dated one of the defendants, denied telling police the defendants were involved.
"There has not been proper identification established and the state did not carry its burden today," Lambert-Ryan said before turning to the two defendants. "Today justice was on your side."
Lambert-Ryan acknowledged from the bench that her ruling would not be well received by many and noted that she has received e-mails from some state legislators telling her of links between animal cruelty and serial killers.
"For the record," she said, "I love dogs, too."
Police and animal control officers found the puppy, a German shepherd and Rottweiler mix, suffering from severe burns on July 29 at 1605 Kilarney in Whitehaven.
Jessica Agnew, who could not be located for Friday's hearing, told police Boykin, 20, held the dog down as Hathaway, 18, set the dog on fire with a lighter.
She said she smelled gasoline on the dog which had burns to its back, face and all four legs.
Veterinarian Dr. Susanne Heartsill said the dog -- who was nicknamed Hope -- lost more than 80 percent of its skin and required heavy doses of morphine and antibiotics.
"Burns are incredibly painful, both for humans and animals," she testified. "On a pain scale, these were on the upper end."
Heartsill said she had to euthanize the dog on Aug. 10 because its injuries were too severe.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Gen. James Challen said the case would be reviewed for possible presentation to a grand jury.
"Dismissal (in General Sessions) is not the end of it," he said. | Source: Commercial Appeal - Sept 12, 2008
Update posted on Sep 13, 2008 - 3:12PM |
Hope, a 12 week old shepherd mix puppy, took a turn for the worse and the decision was made to spare her any further suffering and humanely euthanize her. She was burned over 55% of her body and although doctors worked diligently, even using state or the art laser therapy, she developed pneumonia. In an update from the The Memphis Anti-Cruelty Taskforce:
"It is with sorrow that I must tell you that Hope did not survive the injuries inflicted upon her. It was just too much for her and in spite of everything that was done to help her, most of her body had been injured and she then went on to develop pneumonia. The decision was made to euthanize her which was the most humane thing to do. We will carry her in our hearts. No one had the right to do this to her. The Memphis Anti-Cruelty Taskforce will speak for her in the courtroom until this case is concluded."
Today, August 14, 2008, Vincent Boykin 20 and Tristan Hathaway 18, the two responsible for sadistically torturing Hope and causing her death will appear in court. | Source: Pet Lovers Tips - Aug 14, 2008
Update posted on Aug 14, 2008 - 9:36AM |
Two Mid-South men accused of setting a dog on fire are no strangers to the criminal justice system. That's why animal rights activists showed up in court to try to keep these men behind bars.
A Shelby County judge increased bond for Tristan Hathaway to $100,000. Hathaway is accused of setting the puppy on fire. An eyewitness says Vincent Boykin held the dog on the ground. Boykin's bond was set at $15,000.
Jerrica Agnew says it's her love for own animals that made her spring into action Tuesday, July 29, 2008. She says she saw flames down the street and ran outside, then heard a dog barking. She ran down the street and says she saw Boykin and Hathaway running away from the puppy.
"He was burned on his back, his forehead, eye area and mouth. I gave him some water and called the police," says Agnew.
Animal rights activists say abuse like this has increased in the last year. In April, we told you about "Mack", the shepherd mix puppy stabbed in the back with a steak knife. Mack had to eventually be put down. Then about two and a half weeks ago, a man found this puppy tied up in a backyard, with its paw chewed off. Its leg had to be amputated.
"They can't speak for themselves and if we let this continue it's going to be worse for the animals and the people of Shelby County," says Ginger Morgan of the Memphis Humane Society.
Vincent Boykin's mother and she says her son was not involved.
In March 2007, Boykin was charged with attempted first degree murder. Police say Boykin hid in a garbage can for several hours waiting on the victim, who Boykin admitted shooting in the leg. Boykin has also been arrested for aggravated assault twice and possession of marijuana.
On March 1, 2008, police arrested Tristan Hathaway for aggravated assault. Hathaway is accused of getting into a fight with two other men and shooting at them. One month later, in April, Hathaway was arrested for aggravated burglary and theft for breaking into a house on Kilarney Street in Whitehaven. That is the same street where the puppy was burned this week, and where both these men live.
Both Boykin and Hathaway are scheduled to be in court next on August 14, 2008.
If you are a witness to animal abuse and want to report it, you can call the humane society's animal abuse hotline at (901) 937-3900. | Source: My Eyewitness News - July 31. 2008
Update posted on Aug 14, 2008 - 9:34AM |
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