Horse shot between the eyes
La Porte, IN (US)Incident Date: Sunday, Nov 16, 2008
County: La Porte
Charges: Felony Non-CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged:
» J.R. Skomac
» Joseph Waldo
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
Two rural Westville men have been arrested for shooting the Satoski family's beloved 5-year-old Belgian draft horse, Ben.
The horse was shot between the eyes Nov. 16 outside their home at 3810 S. County Road 650 West.
La Porte County Sheriff Michael Mollenhauer announced Friday that J.R. Skomac, 25, and Joseph Waldo, 24, were arrested on felony charges of criminal mischief. Skomac was arrested Nov. 26 and Waldo on Tuesday. They have since posted bond and been released from jail.
Chief of Detectives Capt. John Boyd said an anonymous tip led to Waldo and Skomac. Detective Sgt. Pat Cicero said police collected forensic evidence at the scene by exhuming the horse and recovering a 12-gauge shotgun slug. Police said they recovered the gun used to kill the horse Tuesday and are holding it as evidence.
Cicero, citing the probable cause affidavit, said Waldo and Skomac didn't know the Satoski family and that shooting the horse was a spur of the moment decision after attempting to illegally poach deer that night. He said the men have confessed to the crime.
Criminal mischief is a Class D felony and is punishable with six months to three years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
"Not enough, that's for sure," Mollenhauer said of the possible punishment.
Boyd said the two men are charged with criminal mischief because there is no animal cruelty code in Indiana that fits the case. He said that, unfortunately, Ben is treated like property.
Boyd said he thought Ben's death was animal cruelty, even if it didn't meet the technical classification.
That is something the Satoski family hopes to change. They plan on speaking with State Sen. Jim Arnold to see if legislation can be passed that would require a stiffer penalty for similar cases.
"This was out and out murder," Sue Satoski said at the sheriff's press conference Friday.
The case is still under investigation and additional charges, both state and federal, are being sought against Skomac, who was on parole at the time of the shooting. The department received a parole violation warrant for Skomac Thursday from the state parole board, after he was released on bond, but have not located him to serve it, Boyd said. Anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact the department at (800) 548-5374.
Boyd said he would not release details on Skomac's criminal history.
Sue Satoski said the reward fund for finding the culprits is at about $4,200. The Satoski family put in $1,000 of their own money, the National Humane Society donated $2,500 and other individuals and businesses also gave to the fund. The reward won't be paid until there is a conviction, Cicero said.
She said Ben was gentle with people of all ages and that anyone who approached the horse would be greeted kindly.
"I can guarantee, he walked right up to these two individuals (before he was shot)," Sue Satoski said. She later added, "It's hard to believe somebody could be so cruel ... basically evil."
Her husband, Brian Satoski, said he has always tried to take care of Ben and all of his horses. He said he kept Ben warm, dry and with a belly full of food. Even after the arrests, he said he felt a little responsible.
"I didn't take care of Ben right. Somebody came in the night and shot him," Brian Satoski said.
Sue Satoski said their children have stayed up at night to watch, making sure someone else doesn't come along and hurt their four other horses. Brian Satoski said Ben meant a lot to many people, as he was part of a team that pulled hay wagon rides at places in the La Porte area. Families took their Christmas card photos with him.
Case UpdatesIt's a tragic case of animal cruelty in LaPorte County that has grabbed national attention. The Satoski family's 5-year-old Belgian draft horse - known as "Big Ben" - was shot right between the eyes one night last month and killed. Friday police announced, after working more than 100 hours to find justice for the family, they finally know who did it.
It was a morning Sue Satoski says she'll never be able to put out of her mind. She wishes she could.
"I couldn't believe it," she told WSBT in November. "I said, 'Somebody shot him! Look at his head!' It was a well-placed bullet."
A bullet right between the eyes of the Satoski family's pride and joy - their 5-year-old horse named Ben. It happened the night of November 16 as he played in his outdoor arena in rural LaPorte.
Police were just as disturbed as the Satoskis themselves.
"This horse had a name. It had an identity. It was a friend to many people," Det. John Boyd of the LaPorte Co. Sheriff's Dept. said after the shooting. "We're going to do everything we can to bring these people to justice and hold them accountable for what they did."
In the weeks that followed, the Satoski family, a lot of people in LaPorte, and even the Humane Society of the United States all donated to a reward fund for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Finally, Friday afternoon - three weeks later - a break.
Police say it was a late-night telephone tip and forensic evidence that led them to 24-year-old Joseph Waldo and 25-year-old J.R. Skomac of Westville - now arrested and charged with criminal mischief. They face up to three years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
So why did they do it?
"They were allegedly, from what they confessed to, they were deer hunting and they did not get a deer," explained Sgt. Pat Cicero of the LaPorte County Sheriff's Department. "They saw a horse and decided to shoot the horse."
"It's part of the family," said Sheriff Mike Mollenhauer. "I don't care if it's a cat or a dog or a horse or whatever, it's losing a member of the family. And for somebody to do something like that to an animal … it's scary."
"They had to look up to that horse; if you could just look at this big innocent animal [and do that], you have no regard for any life, human or otherwise. None," Sue Satoski said.
Police say the men could not be charged with animal cruelty because the horse wasn't "mutilated or tortured." But detectives and the Satoskis say they plan to ask state lawmakers to change the wording of the law in the future.
Both men have bonded out of jail. And we just learned a warrant has been issued for J.R. Skomac because he can't be found. Anyone who knows where he may be is asked to call police. | Source: WSBT - Dec 7, 2008
Update posted on Dec 7, 2008 - 7:14PM |
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