 Cat shot, beheaded - bagged head hung from tree
Milan, NY (US)Date: Jan 11, 2006
Local Map: available
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Robert See
Upcoming Court Dates: Nov 2, 2006
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available |
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A Milan resident made a gruesome discovery while walking on his property: the head of a neighbor's cat in a bag that was hanging from a tree.
The neighbor, Robert See, 30, of Indian Road, was charged January 11, 2006 with animal cruelty, killing a cat by gunshot and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling.
Authorities said See admitted he killed the cat in anger after the animal urinated on a carpet in his home.
Doug Niederkorn, a law-enforcement officer with the Dutchess County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals, said See shot the cat with a high-powered rifle then chopped off the animal's head with an ax, placed the head in a bag and hung the bag from a tree on a neighboring property. He declined to identify the neighbor who discovered the cat's head. "The cat was a large cat, so (See) wanted his skull," Niederkorn said. "He was going to add the skull to his skull collection. He has an animal skull collection, and he was going to add the cat's skull to it."
Niederkorn called the incident "one of the most disturbing cases" he'd ever seen, though he said there was no indication See had the skulls of other domestic animals in his collection. All three charges lodged against See are misdemeanors, and he could face up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted. State law doesn't allow for felony charges in such cases. "The acts after the cat was deceased are morally so disturbing that we are urging everyone to contact their state legislators to urge them to make the laws more stringent for animal cruelty across the board," Niederkorn said. "We are deeply saddened for this cat," he said. "Our hearts go out to this animal that died at the hands of its owner and for the incidents that took place after that poor cat was killed.
See was issued appearance tickets and ordered to appear in Milan Town court on Feb. 9, 2006.
See could not be reached for comment, and a woman answering the phone at his residence said she was not aware whether he had retained an attorney. Case UpdatesThe Milan man accused of killing and beheading his family pet, and now facing felony drug charges in Dutchess County Court, had his animal cruelty case in Town Court adjourned on Wednesday pending the outcome of a mental health evaluation.
Robert See, 31, was brought to Milan Town Court by Dutchess County sheriff's deputies from the Dutchess County Jail, where see has been held since being arrested in September for allegedly breaking into a supermarket and stealing prescription drugs.
See, who has said he is studying to become a corrections officer, was arrested after he crawled out onto the roof of an A&P supermarket in Hopewell Junction, authorities said. They said he had 8 ounces of hydrocodone, a powerful painkiller, that he had taken from the store's pharmacy. Police believe See discarded other large bottles of pills as he fled from the store.
See has been charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, burglary and petit larceny in connection with the A&P break-in.
At the time of his arrest in Hopewell Junction, See was facing animal cruelty charges in Milan Town Court stemming from his Jan. 11, 2006, arrest by the humane officer for the Dutchess County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Authorities said See shot his cat with a high-powered rifle after the cat urinated on the carpet of See's home, then chopped off the cat's head with an ax, placed the head in a bag and hung the bag from a tree on a neighboring property. Authorities said See collects animal skulls and intended to add the cat's skull to his collection.
A neighboring landowner discovered the cat's head in the hanging bag and notified authorities.
In June, the Dutchess County Probation Department issued a report calling See "candid, well-grounded and responsible."
Assistant District Attorney Frank Chase said probation officials also indicated that See believed his actions involving the cat were "a reflection of the values in a rural area rather than reckless and wanton behavior" and that he "didn't think his actions would upset" anyone.
On Thursday, Chase said See will be evaluated by mental health officials to determine whether he has a drug dependency problem.
Because of the pending evaluation, the Milan case was adjourned until Nov. 2. | Source: Daily Freeman - Oct 6, 2006
Update posted on Oct 8, 2006 - 4:05PM |
A glowing report from the Dutchess County Department of Probation has the District Attorney's Office rethinking its prosecution of a Milan man accused of killing and beheading his pet cat.
At the same time, though, suspect Robert See, 30, of Indian Road, faces a new charge of harassment, stemming from a dispute over a boundary line with an unidentified neighbor.
See was charged in January with animal cruelty for killing a cat by gunshot, and with discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, both misdemeanors.
The District Attorney's Office had planned to offer See a deal that called for him to plead guilty to a misdemeanor.
But in Milan Town Court on Thursday, Assistant District Attorney Frank Chase said the original plea may no longer stand.
"Our original offer was to a misdemeanor," Chase told Town Justice Francis Christensen. "In light of this report, I don't know. This is certainly a report that reflects very well for him."
Chase said probation officials found See, who hopes to become a corrections officer, to be "candid, well-grounded and responsible."
According to the report, See believed his actions to be "a reflection of the values in a rural area rather than reckless and wanton behavior," Chase said.
The report also said See "didn't think his actions would upset people so much."
See was arrested on Jan. 11 by a humane officer with the Dutchess County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Authorities said See shot the cat with a high-powered rifle after the cat urinated on the carpet of See's home. He then chopped off the cat's head with an ax, placed the head in a bag, and hung the bag from a tree on a neighboring property. Authorities said See collects animal skulls and intended to add the cat's skull to his collection.
A neighboring land owner discovered the cat head in the bag and notified authorities.
The case involving the cat was adjourned until July 6.
Chase said that although the District Attorney's Office doesn't generally handle the prosecution of violations, he will retain jurisdiction of the harassment case because there already is an open case against See. | Source: Daily Freeman - June 2, 2006
Update posted on Jun 7, 2006 - 8:19PM |
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