Accused horse killers to be tried as adults (sick freaks)

[The Straight Story]

Accused horse killers to be tried as adults

BY MARY MUSIC

STAFF WRITER

Two Pike County high school students accused of torturing and killing several horses at a strip mine in Beaver last month are being tried as adults.

Jacob Leslie Ratliff, 18, of Belcher and Michael Ross Damron, 17, of Mouthcard were both indicted by a Pike County grand jury yesterday on misdemeanor and felony charges.

The teenagers, accused of chasing and shooting eight horses at a strip mine in Beaver near Elkhorn City on January 25, are charged with three felony counts of first degree criminal mischief for killing three horses that were valued at $1,000 or more, five misdemeanor counts of second-degree criminal mischief and cruelty to animals for torturing and injuring five other horses that were grazing on the strip mine that day.

Ratliff and Damron were arrested by the Pike County Sheriff's Department last month after one of the injured horses trekked around six miles to a neighboring home. Officials said the teenagers, armed with two shotguns and a pistol, chased the horses down by truck and shot them multiple times.

“Ghost,” a 4-year-old mare that was shot more than 50 times, “Oldie,” a 14-year old pony favored by children who rode trails at the Breaks Interstate Park, and “Minx,” a 2-year-old mare, died in the shootings. Five other horses sustained multiple shot wounds.

http://www.news-expressky.com/articles/2007/02/22/news/01horse.txt

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. The whole thing has an apocalyptic air to it.

Strip mines & sadistic killers.

[flvegan]

2. "One boy said he just didn't like horses..."

http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/5434051.html

"They were up there shooting birds and rabbits and some reason they decided to shoot the horses." says Detective Richard Ray of the Pike County Sheriff's Department.

"They chased one down that was bleeding and it couldn't keep up with the other horses and they caught up with it and finished it off...one said they shot it probably 30 to 40 times."

"It's really unfortunate, this is really a horrible way to start your young life," says Mullins. "They have their whole lives ahead of them and now it's tainted."

Tainted? Tainted? These two psychos need serious help. Hell, these two lads like "the killing" so much, let them fucking enlist. Cowards.

[benddem]

6. noooo please

the military doesn't need these two. Put em in jail. They would no doubt become serial killers.

[mitchum]

9. Those two psychos do not deserve serious help

[Sirveri]

16. Everyone deserves help, those with problems deserve it the most.

[mitchum]

17. Their actions are beyond the pale and they have forfeited any help...

owed to them by society. They are predators and society needs to be protected from them. Given the opportunity, they will kill again. And nothing will change that certainty.

[WI_DEM]

3. Good, at 18 and 17 they are old enough to know better.

[izzie]

4. Sick is right.

Why would any one do such a thing to an animal?

[StClone]

5. So what figured most prominently in this story

Family background, nurture?
Access to vehicles?
Too much free time?
Guns?
Combo of things?

Would they, could they, have done so much damage with rocks, a vehicle and a freakish mentality?

[mitchum]

7. I will not be saddened if they are killed in prison

not one tiny little bit

[The Stranger]

8. Serial killers often abuse animals before moving on to humans.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

10. Glad to hear they're being tried as adults.

Hopefully they'll spend a very long time in prison.

[mitchum]

18. Or maybe a very short time...

one can hope

[jesus_of_suburbia]

11. Thank God. I hope they rot in hell.

Where are the apologists in this thread? 5-4-3-2-1 till someone says they are just kids and only deserve counseling *rolls eyes*

[jesus_of_suburbia]

13. They certainly need counseling...

They certainly need counseling...


But they need punishment too. Don't get me wrong, I don't think they are a lost cause, but they need BOTH counseling and punishment.

[Beelzebud]

12. Shouldn't they get psychiatric help?

If a mother can drown her children, one by one, and get psychiatric help, can't these young people?

[Initech]

14. Sick fuckers!

[Beaverhausen]

15. They are 17 and 18? Why wouldn't they be tried as adults?

[WinkyDink]

19. Training to become President?

[AtomicKitten]

20. I can't read these stories anymore.

I don't know why I read them, really. The cruelty is beyond my comprehension. I have a 20-year-old son and I simply cannot fathom raising a child who would do something so bereft of humanity.

I think ANYONE who commits such inhumane acts of aggressive cruelty should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and made to serve jail time. These people cannot be taught compassion, they can only be made to pay the consequences.

A perfect punishment in my opinion for anyone that hurts defenseless creatures is to suffer the very cruelty they inflict.