Kittens stomped, chopped in half, frozen - Eastlake, OH

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

County: Lake

Charges: Misdemeanor, Felony Non-CTA
Disposition: Convicted

Defendant/Suspect: William Whitlow

Case Updates: 4 update(s) available

When Eastlake police arrived at a burglary scene on East 359th Street, they were stunned to find tortured, mutilated kittens inside the home. Police Lt. Bill Gutowski struggled to find words for the incident. "It's just sick," Gutowski said. "It's hard to describe, to believe someone would do that to little kittens."

Two kittens inside lay dead - one soaked with water and left in a freezer, another crushed and cut in two, its pieces found in separate rooms. Three others, who all survived, had been thrown against a wall. Charged with the deeds was William Whitlow, 22, of Concord Township. Whitlow, of 10190 Weathersfield Drive, is accused of breaking into the home on the night of May 30, 2006�and stealing jewelry and cash, Gutowski said. Gutowski said Whitlow recently bought the house but had to wait until the middle of June for the current tenant to move out. Sitting around a fire in the back yard, Whitlow drank beer with friends before entering the rear of the home because he wanted water to put out the fire, Gutowski said. It was at that point Whitlow began throwing the five kittens against a wall, Gutowski said. When Whitlow's friends asked him to stop, he soaked one in a pot and put it in the freezer then stomped another with his foot, Gutowski said. He used a kitchen knife to cut the crushed kitten in two, Gutowski said. Whitlow told police he was intoxicated and "doesn't really know what he did," Gutowski said. No one was home at the address where the incident occurred.

Gutowski said the three surviving kittens are still in the occupant's custody. The Lake County Humane Society was not aware of the incident as of the afternoon of June 1, 2006, said Candace Hertzel, the agency's executive director. But Hertzel said her agency will thoroughly investigate the incident in the coming days. Whitlow was charged on June 1, 2006, with burglary and tampering with evidence - both felonies - and two counts of cruelty to animals, a first-degree misdemeanor. He remains in jail after failing to post his bond set at $15,000 cash or surety by Harry Field, a magistrate in Willoughby Municipal Court. According to court records, Whitlow has only traffic violations in Painesville Municipal Court on his Lake County criminal record.

Case Updates

A 23-year-old man convicted of breaking into a home, burglarizing it and killing two of the homeowner's kittens was sentenced on Monday. William Whitlow will spend four years in prison for the incident that took place earlier this year in Eastlake. Whitlow admitted to cutting one of the kittens in half and putting the other kitten in a freezer, leaving it to die. Miriam Couch stood up in the Lake County courtroom and told Judge Richard Collins how her life has been destroyed by Whitlow. Couch said her two children were left traumatized by the burglary and the kittens' deaths. Whitlow left the courtroom stone-faced, saying nothing. Whitlow's attorney Chuck Greieshammer told the judge that Whitlow was extremely sorry about the crime and that he was drunk when he carried out the act of cruelty. Lake County Humane Society Director Candice Hertzle said the Whitlow case is an example of why Ohio laws need to change, making animal abuse a felony. Whitlow has also been fined $2,000 and can never legally be a pet owner. The judge ordered that he be placed on five years of probation after his release.

Source: News Channel 5 - Dec 4, 2006 Update posted on Dec 4, 2006 - 11:55PM

William Whitlow, 23, was ruled competent to stand trial Monday in Lake County Common Pleas Court after a second court-ordered psychological evaluation. He had argued that he was not mentally capable of understanding the charges against him stemming from the May 30 incident, but reversed that position before Judge Richard L. Collins Jr. He then pleaded guilty to three of the six charges he originally faced: one count of burglary and two counts of cruelty to companion animals. Two other counts of burglary and one count of tampering with evidence were dropped. Lake County Assistant Prosecutor Brian W. Stano recounted the gruesome crimes as observed by Whitlow's friends who were with him at the Eastlake home he had recently purchased, but did not yet legally possess. Miriam Couch, the home's tenant at the time, was not home on the night of the incident. "Once inside the home, ... these witnesses observed Mr. Whitlow take a white kitten that was in the home belonging to Ms. Couch and put water on the kitten, throw it in the freezer, as well as trying to force the kitten's head into a five-gallon jug," Stano said. "They also observed Mr. Whitlow step on a black kitten and then cut it in half with a kitchen knife." He also reportedly threw three other kittens against a wall, sprayed mace in the face of an adult cat and set a dog's tail on fire. Whitlow also took jewelry and $1,200 worth of money orders, according to police. After a lengthy interview by the judge to ensure Whitlow understood the ramifications of his guilty plea, he denied entering the home with a plan to commit the crimes. "I was getting water," Whitlow said. "I had a fire pit I made out of bricks in the back yard, and it was getting too high, ... so I went inside to get water to put it out." Whitlow's attorney, Chief Assistant Lake County Public Defender Charles Grieshammer, said his client's intention changed once he entered the home. The defendant and three friends had been drinking in the back yard prior to the incident, and Whitlow reportedly blamed his intoxication for his actions. Whitlow did not keep any of the property, Grieshammer said, but left it scattered about the yard. The case has been referred to the Lake County Adult Probation Department for a pre-sentencing investigation, Collins said. The judge could sentence Whitlow to up to eight years in prison for the felony burglary charge. The animal cruelty counts are first-degree misdemeanors. In addition to incarceration, Whitlow could be fined up to $17,000 for his crimes, plus court costs and restitution to the victim. His sentencing is set for 1:15 p.m. Dec. 4. Whitlow could spend up to eight years in prison after admitting he broke into an Eastlake home and tortured and killed two kittens inside.

Source: News-Herald - Nov 7, 2006 Update posted on Nov 7, 2006 - 5:43AM

Whitlow, 22, remains in jail while his case is bound over to the Lake County Common Pleas Court. The three surviving kittens, who are about 3 weeks old, along with their mother and father, are in the custody of the Lake County Humane Society, said agency Executive Director Candace Hertzel. "They are doing fine," she said. Hertzel was originally concerned there may have been other injuries after Whitlow admitted to police that he threw the other kittens against the wall, Police Lt. Bill Gutowski said. She said the Humane Society plans to have the adult cats neutered and spayed, with the owner's permission. The cats' owner, Miriam Couch, 34, sat in the rear of the courtroom with her two daughters, Taylor and Breanna. It was Breanna, 8, who first found the mutilated kittens inside the home on East 359th Street, Couch said. Couch began crying during an interview with a television station prior to the hearing. "This is just ... all my life I've rescued animals," Couch said. "I mean, the kids don't kill spiders because you're not supposed to kill spiders." Taylor, 15, described the situation as "disturbing." Couch said $1,200 worth of money orders was taken, along with some of her personal jewelry. Her family, which had been renting the home, was set to move out Saturday after Whitlow had purchased the home. Police said Whitlow had been drinking beer in the back yard with three friends before he entered the home and committed the crimes. Whitlow blamed his intoxication for the acts, Gutowski said. Whitlow faces felony charges of burglary and tampering with evidence. The charge of cruelty to animals is a misdemeanor because it is his first offense. Couch said the family had planned to keep the black kitten that was killed, but she was not sure if they would keep the other three or let the Humane Society find them homes. Judge Larry Allen added a stipulation to Whitlow's $15,000 cash bond, stating Whitlow was to have no contact with any children younger than 12 if he is released from jail. His lawyer is Maryellen O'Brien of the Lake County Public Defender's office.

Source: The News Herald - June 7, 2006 Update posted on Jun 7, 2006 - 5:54PM

The man charged with breaking into an Eastlake home and mutilating the family's pets faced a judge Tuesday morning. The judge bound over the case against William Whitlow to the grand jury. He's charged with burglary and cruelty to animals. Whitlow left parts of one dead kitten in the bed of an 8-year-old girl.

Source: WKYC - June 6, 2006 Update posted on Jun 7, 2006 - 5:18PM

References

• « OH State Animal Cruelty Map
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