A mother in Jefferson County faces serious charges after two cats were found drowned in her home. Investigators say the woman became so angry with the cats that she asked her son and another teenager to drown them in the bathtub and "give them back to God."
An anonymous tip on Oct. 20 led animal control officers to the 10900 block of Main Range Trail, where they found two dead cats in the trash can in the garage, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department said. Investigators say the mother of five considered the family cats to be a nuisance because she couldn't afford to feed them and they repeatedly urinated in the house.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department said in the woman gave specific instructions to her 14-year old son and a 19-year-old family friend on how to kill the animals.
"That they should separate the cats so the other cat doesn't witness the other being harmed, wrap them in towels, fill the bathtub with water, place them in containers until they stop moving," said Jacki Tallman, with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department.
The woman was not present when the animals were drowned, Tallman said.
Among the charges the woman faces are conspiracy to commit animal cruelty, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and child abuse. Investigators say the event was especially traumatizing to the woman's 10-year-old son, who witnessed the drownings of the cats.
"These charges are serious and they should be because this has a lasting effect on kids," said Tallman. Neighbors and investigators are in disbelief about what happened.
"Because it's absolutely senseless, there are so many alternatives," Tallman said. "This woman certainly didn't take the time to consider all the other available to her, did not show the respect to children and animals, therefore these charges are serious."
Social services is also involved because the woman is a single mother, so arrangements are being made for her five children to stay with relatives in the area.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said the people involved -- including the 14-year old boy and the 19-year old family friend -- all face charges in this case. The 14-year-old boy may be charged with two counts of animal cruelty and the 19-year-old may be charged with two counts of animal cruelty and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Case UpdatesA Littleton woman was sentenced on Sep 6, 2006 to three years of probation, 45 days in jail, 120 hours of community service and counseling in connection with her role in the drowning deaths of two cats in October of 2005.
Delene Madison Hart, DOB: 7-30-67, of Littleton, was convicted of two counts of Aggravated Animal Cruelty (class 6 felonies), one count of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor (a class 4 felony) and one count of Negligent Child Abuse (a class 2 misdemeanor) following a jury trial in June.
According to court testimony, Hart was arrested after she instructed a 19-year-old family friend to drown her family's two cats, which were reportedly responsible for repeated soiling in the house. Two of Hart's minor children were present when the cats died. Court testimony included a graphic description of how the animals struggled as they were killed.
The family friend, Kyle Bundy, DOB: 4-25-86, pled guilty to misdemeanor Cruelty to Animals on November 14, 2005. He was sentenced to one year's probation with a mental health evaluation, 24 hours of community service, fees and costs.
Hart's sentence includes a provision that her community service should be performed at an animal shelter, if such a facility is willing to accept her.
The Dumb Friend's League does not charge a fee to take an unwanted animal, but does ask for a donation to help with expenses. | Source: District Attorney's Office - Sep 6, 2006
Update posted on Oct 8, 2006 - 4:17PM |
A Littleton woman could spend up to 10 years behind bars after Jefferson County jurors found her guilty in the drownings of two family pets.
The jury reached its verdict last night in the trial of Delene Madison Hart, 38.
She was convicted on two felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and negligent child abuse.
Sheriff's investigators said Hart gave her 14-year-old son and a 19-year-old family friend specific instructions to wrap two cats in separate towels and hold them under water in a bathtub until they stopped moving.
Officials found the dead cats in the garage. Hart allegedly thought of them as nuisances because they urinated inside her home and she couldn't afford to feed them.
She reportedly told the teens that drowning the cats would "give them back to God."
A sentencing date has not yet been set. | Source: CBS4Denver - June 30, 2006
Update posted on Jun 30, 2006 - 5:01PM |
Disturbing details emerged Monday in the case of a Littleton mother accused of instructing her 14-year-old son and a 19-year-old family friend to drown and kill two cats in a bathtub Oct. 18.
Delene Madison Hart, 38, was charged Monday with two counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated animal cruelty, both class six felonies, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a class four felony, and child abuse, a class two misdemeanor. Hart was released on bond Friday night after turning herself into the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office that morning. Hart is due in court this Friday at 10 a.m. to be advised of the charges against her.
Sheriff's spokeswoman Jacki Tallman said animal control officers, acting on an anonymous tip, responded to Hart's residence at 10922 Main Range Trail in Ken Caryl on Oct. 20 where they found two dead cats stuffed in garbage bags.
Carl Blesch, spokesman for the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office, said prosecutors still are deciding whether charges will be filed against the 19-year-old or the 14-year-old, but an affidavit filed Monday shed some light on the gruesome acts.
According to the affidavit, Hart told investigators she asked her son and his friend to kill the animals because she could not afford to feed them and that they repeatedly urinated in the house. She said she had "had enough of the two cats" and directed her son to "drown them in the bathtub."
She also told investigators the cats � a black one named Georgia and a white one named Jackson � were "great pets," but she was going through a second divorce and didn't want to deal with them making messes anymore. She said she tried to take the cats to the Dumb Friends League about three months ago, but couldn't afford a $60 surrender fee. The Dumb Friends League, however, doesn't require a fee for surrendering an animal. They ask only for a $20 to $50 donation, but will take in animals regardless of a contribution.
Hart came home from work the afternoon of Oct. 18 and told her five children, ranging in ages from infant to 16, "let's drown them," referring to the cats. "Fill up the bathtub and put one of the cats in my bedroom closet so that you don't have to chase him down later. Do the business and drown the first one, then remove it and do the other cat," she told the children before leaving again for work. Hart stated that she and her children, "gave them back to God."
When investigators arrived at her home, they found the cats still in a garbage can because she had "not had time to get rid of them" and still hadn't fully drained the tub in which they were killed. The affidavit included gruesome details of the scene of the alleged crime, most too graphic for publication. It also explained that the children were instructed to wrap each cat in a towel to prevent scratching, and one boy used a box to hold the first cat under water. The first cat managed to break open the box in a desperate, but failed attempt to escape.
A deputy who took Hart's initial statement noted that Hart had, "no visible remorse about the incident and she repeatedly stated, 'they're in God's hands now.'" One of her sons told investigators, while sobbing, "we loved our cats, but it had to be done."
A spokesperson for the national animal rights organization PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, called the act one of the worst he's ever seen. "This alleged act stands out on a national basis, and that's saying something because we see maybe 100 cruelty-to-animal cases around the country each week," said Dan Paden, an animal cruelty caseworker for PETA, located in Norfolk, VA. "They're all despicable in their own way, but this case takes the cake in a lot of ways." Paden added that people who no longer want their animals have many alternatives. "We start by asking people to carefully consider before they bring an animal into their home, whether they can provide for their physical and social needs for the 10 or 15 years of that animal's life," he said. "It's a simple drive to a local animal shelter to surrender them there where they have a chance at a new life, or at worst, a quick death with a painless injection. It's sickening someone would commit an act like this rather than take a drive."
He also said the practice of charging an adult with child abuse for forcing a child to witness a crime is becoming more common.
"When you think about the consequences of desensitizing a child to that type of action ... it's frightening," Paden said. "It's sad it happens, but it's encouraging the officials recognize that." | Source: Canyon Courier
Update posted on Nov 16, 2005 - 10:11PM |
Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
Back to Top References« CO State Animal Cruelty Map
|
