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Dear Memphis Police Department, City Prosecutors, Mayor Herenton, and City Council Members:
A vicious crime has occurred in a Memphis neighborhood -- yet no one is charged. Therefore, I've taken the time to write to the Memphis Police
Department, the mayor, council members, and city prosecutor.
Memphis resident Antoine Draper cared for his two-year-old pit bull, Mimi, as if she were his child. "From a puppy I fed her with bottle," he told WMC-TV Memphis. One can barely imagine his horror upon learning Mimi had been doused in gasoline and set on fire on December 22, 2007.
It is equally difficult to grasp the absence of an arrest and charges in
this case. Mimi was giving birth to puppies in Tamai Neil's backyard when Neil, the girlfriend of Draper's brother, dispatched a friend to get
gasoline. Draper claims multiple witnesses saw Neil scorch the dog she mistakenly thought belonged to Draper's brother. In an act of premeditated violence, Neil reportedly boasted about her intentions just before igniting the dog and her puppies.
I urge the Memphis Police Department to aggressively investigate this crime.
If Neil and any other suspects are arrested, I ask city prosecutors to
advocate maximum incarceration and fines. Under TENN. CODE ANN. 39-14-201 et seq., the intentional killing of a companion animal constitutes aggravated cruelty punishable as a Class A Misdemeanor. Any subsequent offense is a Class E Felony with fines up to $3,000 and 6 years imprisonment.
Apparently Neil is already on probation for past crimes. At the time she
fatally tortured Mimi, observers state she was "high on cocaine." If
convicted, prosecutors should ensure Neil undergoes psychological counseling and is barred from possessing or living with animals.
Criminologists view the brutality of an act, regardless of the victim's
identity, as a forerunner to more violence. ASPCA's Randall Lockwood, Ph.D. -- who aids cruelty investigators, law enforcers and court officials -- describes animal cruelty and arson "as significant predictors of violent and even homicidal behavior. The intentional burning of a live animal should be considered particularly significant as an indicator of the potential for other violent acts."
Animal cruelty is a key trait in the American Psychiatric Association's
criterion for conduct disorders. The FBI red flags animal abuse when
profiling homicidal criminals and their potential for recurring violence.
The deliberate burning of Mimi and her puppies is merciless and illegal.
Moreover, it serves as a yardstick to measure probability of a repeat
offense. I look forward to any case updates you can provide.
Thank you,
Jeune fille végétarienne recherchant un emploi en administratif et encore mieux en rapport avec les animaux sur la Bretagne, je m'investis dans la protection animale.
