CONVICTED: Was justice served?
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.
Case #3271 Rating: 3.7 out of 5
Shelter broken into, 4 cats beaten to death
Washingtonville, NY (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Oct 26, 2004
County: Orange
Disposition: Convicted
Defendants/Suspects:
» Terry Ayres
» Michael Bornhoeft
» Michael Melfi
Case Updates: 3 update(s) available
The Humane Society of the United States has posted a $2500.00 reward and the N.Y. State Humane Association has posted $500.00 and an additional $1000.00 has been posted for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for allegedly breaking into the Blooming Grove Humane Society's animal shelter and killing four cats.
Upon arriving at the shelter on the morning of October 26, an employee of the Blooming Grove Humane Society in Washingtonville discovered the bodies of four dead cats. According to Brett Whedan, detective with the Blooming Grove police department, a veterinary examination confirmed that one cat had suffered severe trauma, possibly by having been thrown against a gate or wall, resulting in a broken spine. Police suspect the others may have been poisoned. Results of the toxicology screenings are pending.
Anyone who may have information about this case is asked to contact Detective Brett Whedan at 845-496-9161.
Case UpdatesA 19-year-old Orange County man is facing up to seven years in state prison for going on a cat-killing rampage.
Michael Melfi of Washingtonville got the maximum sentence Tuesday for his role in crushing and torturing cats at the Blooming Grove Humane Society's animal shelter.
Melfi was convicted this summer of burglary and aggravated animal cruelty, felonies, and criminal mischief and criminal trespass, misdemeanors.
Twenty-one-year-old Michael Bornhoeft, who also took part in the 2004 rampage, got the same sentence as Melfi in August.
A third culprit, 20-year-old Terry Ayres, got up to three years in prison after pleading guilty to burglary and testifying against Bornhoeft and Melfi. | Source: WCAX - Dec 7, 2006
Update posted on Dec 8, 2006 - 1:21PM |
One of the three men charged with breaking into the Blooming Grove Town Human Society and killing several cats, was sentenced Friday in Orange County Court.
Michael Bornhoeft had been convicted of third-degree burglary and aggravated cruelty to animals, said District Attorney Frank Phillips.
He was sentenced to 2 1/3 to seven years for the burglary, two years for each count of animal cruelty and one year for criminal trespass. All sentences will run concurrently. Phillips termed the sentence "significant in a pretty awful case of animal cruelty."
One other defendant in the case has already pleaded guilty to the crimes and a third awaits trial. | Source: Mid-Hudson News - Aug 19, 2006
Update posted on Aug 19, 2006 - 11:38AM |
Blooming Grove Town Police have cracked a 1 ½-year-old case of three teens, who broke into the local animal shelter and killed four cats. The incident occurred in October 2004 when the three allegedly broke into the Blooming Grove Humane Society's Animal Shelter and killed the animal.
The police have been working on the case ever since and just arrested Terry Ayres, 19, of Vails Gate, and Michael Vornhoeft, 20, and Michael Melfi, 18, both of Washingtonville. They were each charged with third-degree burglary, four counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, and criminal mischief. They have all been indicted by an Orange County grand jury, said District Attorney Frank Phillips, who said Ayres and Vornhoeft are in the Orange County Jail and Melfi remains at large. | Source: Mid Hudson News - March 23, 2006
Update posted on Mar 24, 2006 - 8:58PM |
References« NY State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Orange County, NY
|
