blue

Note: One thing that struck me when I was reading about what happened to this poor puppy was that NOWHERE did I see his name. And, also, the sex of the puppy was stated as female in some articles and male in others. So, after several unsuccessful telephone calls to try to determine the puppy�s name and sex, I am naming him Blue and temporarily calling him a male, until I find or receive evidence to the contrary. I believe he deserves a name.

Blue was a Labrador mix puppy who lived in Delmar, Alabama. On August 29, 2000, Blue�s *guardian*, William Robinson, saw that Blue was rummaging through the garbage, and Robinson became enraged. Robinson retrieved a gun and shot Blue twice.

But Blue didn�t die right away, and that was his misfortune.

After shooting Blue twice and seeing that he was still alive, Robinson picked Blue up and dumped the suffering dog on a pile of trash, doused him with a flammable substance and set him on fire. Blue was screaming as the flames were engulfing his body, and then finally, Blue inhaled flames into his lungs and died. Poor Blue�s screams of pain and agony were heard by neighbors, but the neighbors were unable to get to him. Robinson�s children watched in horror.

Poor little Blue�s only crime was getting into the trash. I wonder what Robinson will do next�murder one of his children for getting into the trash? Can you imagine the pain and suffering this poor little baby went through? Can you imagine? Can you imagine the pain from two bullets lodged in your body and the smell of the flammable material and burning hair and the intense heat and the excruciating pain and agony of being burned to death?

And, guess what, folks? Robinson is walking around un-punished, free as a bird, not having to be made accountable for his actions and ALIVE.

ALIVE. �which is more than I can say for Blue.

The county prosecutor declined to prosecute, so the Alabama Attorney General's office got involved. The Attorney General's office presented the case before a Jury for felony indictment on May 1, 2001. Because of some conflicting testimony, the jurors were unable to reach the unanimous agreement required to indict. This decision bodes ill for any other animals or people who will encounter Mr. Robinson in the future (including the new dog that Mr. Robinson is reported to have acquired).

Responding to many calls and letters he has received about this case, Alabama Attorney General, Bill Pryor has said publicly in a press release that he would consider re-submitting the case if presented with new evidence. However, according to Alabama law, new evidence is not necessary to pursue the case against Robinson. Alabama recently passed a law, which went into effect August 1, 2001, that upgrades the penalty for intentionally torturing a dog or cat from a misdemeanor to a Class C felony, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $5,000 fine. This law came into effect approximately two months before Robinson allegedly committed this crime against Blue.

With the legal grounds to re-open this case and the compelling evidence against William Robinson, we believe that Blue�s case will test this new law, and that it is an opportunity for the decision-makers of the State of Alabama to support this new law and show the citizens of Alabama that the law will be enforced and that this kind of violence will not be tolerated or sanctioned in the State of Alabama.

We at Innocents are asking you to *please* help ensure that Robinson is brought to justice by signing the petition for Blue and by writing the Attorney General�s Office and the Governor of Alabama. Please note that the Attorney General�s office did present this case to the Jury on May 1, 2001, so please express appreciation for that, but also be firm in your conviction that this crime must not go un-punished and insist that he re-submit the case to another Grand Jury:

Case Numbers DC2000669 and DC2000744-748.

Honorable Bill Pryor
Attorney General of Alabama
Office of the Attorney General
11 S. Union St.
Montgomery, AL 36130
Tel.: 334-242-7300 (ask for the Executive Division)
Fax: 334-242-4891 (www.free2fax.com)
or send an e-mail through: www.ago.state.al.us

Please also cc your letters to Alabama's governor:

The Honorable Don Siegelman
State Capitol
Room N104
600 Dexter Ave.
Montgomery, AL 36130
Tel: (334) 242-7100
Fax: (334) 242-0937
or send an email through: http://www.governor.state.al.us

You can fax your letters thru http://www.hotcorp.com.
(Don't worry about the 20-line limit - copy message to your email account and you'll see that it works.)

The Honorable Bill Pryor, Attorney General of Alabama; Fax: 334-242-4891
The Honorable Don Siegelman, Governor of Alabama; Fax: 334-242-0937

Please use the following letter as an example, but please put your letter in your own words and write from your heart.

{date}

The Honorable Bill Pryor
Attorney General
State of Alabama
11 S. Union Street
Montgomery, AL 36130

Dear Attorney General Pryor:

I am writing as a concerned citizen to ask you to indict Will Robinson, a Delmar resident, for animal cruelty under Alabama's recently upgraded felony provisions.The details of what Robinson allegedly did to his family's pet dog, while his own children watched helplessly in horror, are beyond human comprehension.Will Robinson is a man in dire need of psychiatric intervention. His inability to control his anger paints a frightening picture for other innocents and especially his family. This man could easily be pushed over the edge again if a similar situation presents itself. The terrible pain and suffering he inflicted on a basically defenseless dog is reason enough to remove him from society and punish him to the fullest extent of your law.

As I'm sure you are aware, the FBI and the scientific community have volumes of evidence showing a strong correlation between cruelty to animals and subsequent cruel and violent behavior to humans. The standard diagnostic and treatment manual for psychiatric and emotional disorders lists cruelty to animals as a diagnostic criterion for conduct disorders. Animal abuse is NOT just the result of a minor personality flaw in the abuser, but a symptom of deep seated mental problems.

Mr. Pryor, you have the power to intervene in the life of a very disturbed individual. No human being in his/her right mind would ever do to another living creature what Robinson did to his dog. Please! Do not be tempted to brush this case aside because his victim was an animal. Robinson's next victim could easily be a child or vulnerable adult! Remember Russell Weston? He killed 12 cats by burning them, cutting off their tails, paws, ears, putting toxic chemicals in their eyes, blinding them, forcing them to eat poison, hanging them from trees for a slow and painful death. Not long after this killing spree, he traveled to our nation's capitol and killed two officers during an angry rampage. Had authorities intervened when they discovered he tortured and killed those animals, perhaps the grieving families wouldn't be grieving!

Animal torture is a "red flag" that must never be ignored.Indict Will Robinson for his brutal torture and killing of his dog. Caring, concerned citizens in both Alabama and throughout our nation are counting on you to take action now, before this man explodes on his next innocent victim.

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I trust you will do the right thing.

Very truly yours,

[Signature]

cc: The Honorable Don Siegelman, Governor

WASHINGTON ( August 31, 2001) -The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) commends Alabama Governor Don Siegelman for his support of The HSUS' and others efforts to re-open an egregious animal cruelty case in Winston County where a puppy was shot and burned alive last year.

In September 2000, Delmar resident William Robinson was arrested after he allegedly shot his puppy then, while the puppy was still alive, doused him with gasoline and set the puppy on fire in front of his small children and several witnesses. Despite testimony by seven witnesses to a grand jury, the jury failed to issue an indictment in the case.

Despite national public outcry about the case, along with pleas from The HSUS and other animal protection groups, Attorney General Bill Pryor has refused to re-open the investigation. Even celebrity comedian Elayne Boosler has joined efforts to encourage pursuit of this case. Attorney General Pryor has said that he would consider re-examining the case if new evidence is presented. The HSUS is offering a $5,000 reward for new
information that helps to uncover evidence that was not presented at the original grand jury. Anyone with new information is asked to call the office of Attorney General Pryor at 334-242-7300. Ask for the Executive Division.

Earlier this month, The HSUS sent a letter to Governor Siegelman asking him to weigh in with support for the efforts to revive the investigation. Today, the Governor responded, stating full support for The HSUS efforts. "The circumstances of this incident are horrendous, and I believe that the case is simply too important to fail to pursue further," the letter states. "For this reason, I have asked Winston County District Attorney John Bostick to review the case and explore every possible legal means of successful prosecution."

"The Humane Society of the United States is thrilled to have the support of Governor Siegelman on this issue," said Ann Chynoweth, HSUS Counsel to Investigative Services. "We are encouraged that with Governor Siegelman's and District Attorney Bostick's help, the Delmar case will be re-opened and that justice will be served for a crime that demonstrates the truly heinous depths of animal cruelty," she said.

In addition, The HSUS is offering its full support to District Attorney Bostick, with any legal and investigative assistance in the case.

The burning and killing of the puppy in Delmar occurred one month after a new felony animal cruelty law went into effect in Alabama. The law increased the penalties for animal cruelty from a misdemeanor to felony status. The law strengthens the penalty for intentionally torturing a dog or cat to a Class C Felony, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

In his letter to Winston County District Attorney John Bostick, Governor Siegelman emphasizes the importance of the Delmar case. "In view of the facts of this case and recent changes in Alabama for the penalties for animal cruelty, I ask that you closely review this matter," the letter states. "This case is simply too important not to pursue further, and I trust that you will explore every possible avenue in the pursuit of
justice."

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization with more than seven million constituents, including 61,000 in Alabama.

Editors Note: Copies of the Governor's letter to The HSUS and The Governor's letter to Winston County District Attorney John Bostick are available upon request.

Contact: Karen L. Allanach:(301)548-7778 or Rachel Querry:(301)258-8255

August 28, 2001

Dear (Mr. Shapiro or Ms. Walters):

I am writing you to make you aware of a situation that I believe warrants media attention. In Winston County, Alabama, there have been 3 cases of animal cruelty/torture/killings in the past 12 months (these are the only 3 that I am aware of). This seems to be a trend in Winston County, Alabama.

In Delmar, Alabama, on August 29, 2000, William Robinson became angry because the family dog was rummaging through the garbage. Robinson retrieved a gun and shot the dog twice. After seeing that that the puppy was still alive, Robinson picked up the puppy and dumped the suffering dog on a pile of trash, doused him with a flammable substance and set him on fire. According to neighbors, the puppy was screaming as the flames were engulfing his body, and then finally, the puppy inhaled flames into his lungs and died. The puppy�s screams of pain and agony were heard by neighbors, but the neighbors were unable to get to him. And, if that isn�t horrible enough, Robinson�s children were witnesses to this violent and cruel crime.

The Attorney General's office presented the case before a Jury for felony indictment on May 1, 2001; however, the jurors were unable to reach the unanimous agreement required to indict. This decision bodes ill for any other animals or people who will encounter Mr. Robinson in the future (including the new dog that Mr. Robinson is reported to have acquired).

Responding to many calls and letters he has received about this case, Alabama Attorney General, Bill Pryor has said publicly in a press release that he would consider re-submitting the case if presented with new evidence. However, according to Alabama law, new evidence is not necessary to pursue the case against Robinson. Alabama recently passed a law, which went into effect August 1, 2000, that upgrades the penalty for intentionally torturing a dog or cat from a misdemeanor to a Class C felony, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $5,000 fine. This law came into effect approximately one month before Robinson allegedly committed this crime against his dog.

Consider this: What message did the outcome of this case send to the people of Winston County and the state of Alabama? Apparently, that animal cruelty is no big deal in the State of Alabama.

The second case that I�m aware of occurred over the Memorial Day weekend of this year in Double Springs, Alabama; again in Winston County. The Ward family woke up that weekend and found that their barn had been burned down and that their pet Australian Shepherd, Waldo, was missing. When the debris and rubble from the fire were being cleaned up on June 23, 2001, Waldo was discovered in the burned-down barn with a machete in his neck, his snout cut off and his jawbone removed. Waldo�s leg bone was dismembered from his body as well. The Ward family owned two machetes, but two were found lying near Waldo�s body, and one was found in Waldo�s neck., which makes a total of three.

Though they have suspects in this case, no one has been arrested.

The third instance of pet killings occurred this past spring. Eight residents of Ellenburg Drive in Haleyville, Alabama, Winston County, were victims of pet poisonings. Approximately 10 dogs were poisoned and, according to the veterinarians who examined several dogs in the subdivision, the dogs all showed the classic symptoms of insecticide poisoning, in particular, Temik, which is a poison that is so toxic that it has been banned by the EPA.

Apparently, this is another case in Winston County, Alabama, that the officials are doing nothing about. According to one of the subdivision residents that I have personally spoken with, the police haven�t even questioned the person who committed these crimes, even though the person admitted to one of the subdivision residents that he poisoned the animals.

Since the Will Robinson case was never resolved, I, along with many other people, believe that that is the reason that these other two cases are not being taken seriously and that that is why they are moving along so slowly. Why have a new law if it isn�t going to be enforced? If the Will Robinson case were to be prosecuted, then the other cases and any future cases would be resolved in a more expeditious manner. Also, a fair and just resolution to the Robinson case would make future potential animal abusers/killers think twice before they commit this type of crime.

People are not happy about this repeated animal cruelty trend. They are not sitting idly but are working very hard to see that Will Robinson and the perpetrators of these other two crimes are held accountable for their actions. They are angry and will not tolerate animal abuse. I have enclosed with this letter three petitions�one for each case�along with the signatures. If you�ll take a look at these signatures, you�ll see that people from all over the country have signed them; not just people who live in Alabama.

I have also enclosed correspondences from the Humane Society of the United States to the officials of Alabama, as well as a couple of press releases publicized by the HSUS. They have been working vigorously to try to get the Will Robinson case prosecuted.

If you have any questions or need additional information, I can be reached at the following phone numbers and/or email address:

XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXX
[email protected]

You can also read more about these cases on my anti-cruelty website, www.ptinnocents.org.

I hope that you will consider publicizing this story. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Jamie J. Knight
Address: XXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXX