It’s a known fact — and great argument for tougher animal cruelty laws — that many serial killers start out by killing dogs and cats.
Among them are Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy and “Boston Strangler” Albert DeSalvo. And now Robert Durst can apparently be added to this list.
As you’ve probably heard, the real estate tycoon and subject of the recently aired HBO documentary series, “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,” was arrested this week and charged in the 2000 death of his friend, Susan Berman. In the last episode of the series, Durst can be heard confessing to the murders of Berman as well as his wife, Kathie Durst, who disappeared in 1982. “I killed them all, of course,” he said.
Back in 2003, Susan Criss was the judge for Durst’s murder trial for shooting and dismembering a neighbor in Texas. The jury believed Durst’s story that he did it in self defense, and he was acquitted. Criss told “Inside Edition” today that after the trial ended, “a perfectly clean and preserved cat head, cut up by someone who knew what they were doing” was left on her porch.
She said she “strongly believes” it was Durst who did it.
Durst had seven Malamutes, all named Igor, upon whom he practiced dismemberment techniques, according to both Criss and Durst’s brother, Douglas Durst.
“They all came to some unnatural deaths. Some very bizarre, unnatural deaths,” Criss told “Inside Edition.” “He practiced on those dogs, and that’s where he got some of those skills at cutting people up.”
Douglas Durst told the New York Times in January about the seven Malamutes.
“They all died, mysteriously, of different things, within six months of his owning them,” he said. “We don’t know how they died, and what happened to their bodies. In retrospect, I now believe he was practicing killing and disposing his wife with those dogs.”
Criss and Douglas Durst said “Igor” was Robert’s code word for “murder.”
“When he was in jail in Pennsylvania, he was recorded saying, ‘I want to Igor Douglas,’” his brother told the New York Times.
Robert Durst is currently in an acute mental health facility in St. Gabriel, La., waiting extradition to Los Angeles.
Although she was shot three times by a 17-year-old thug and then tied to railroad tracks, a sweet Pit Bull mix named Cabela defied the odds and is getting better and better each day.
Cabela was released yesterday from Tampa Bay Veterinary Emergency Service (TBVES), where she’d been staying since the night of March 4, when hero Tampa police officers Nick Wilson and Sr. Sgt. Rich Mills untied her from the tracks as a train was approaching.
“She has left the building to go into super secret, never to be revealed, protective custody. Hiding: to heal, socialize and begin her transition to a new life,” TBVES wrote in an update on its Facebook page yesterday.
Cabela Wouldn’t Kill, So Thugs Tried to Kill Her
Cabela had been bought for dog-fighting purposes. But since she was too sweet tempered to viciously kill other dogs, a group of losers decided to viciously kill her.
On March 4, after Cabela had proven to be a lover, not a fighter, Bobby Hollinger, 17, threw her into the woods and fired a few shots at her. But Cabela ran back to his house and sat, bleeding, on the porch. So Hollinger and three other monsters walked the injured dog to the railroad tracks and tied her down with a belt. Natwan Callaway, also 17, shot Cabela three times in the neck and right shoulder.
Thanks to a surveillance video, investigators were able to identify the criminals. Callaway and Hollinger were arrested on animal cruelty charges March 11. The next day, Darnell N. Devlin and Kenny Bell — who said they were Cabela’s owners — were charged with possession of a fighting dog after evidence of a fighting operation was found in their home, including two dogs with bite injuries.
Callaway and Hollinger will be tried as adults. They are scheduled for a court appearance on April 8.
As for Devlin and Bell, Hillsborough Circuit Judge John Conrad denied bond for both of them. In Florida, a felony dog-fighting conviction can result in up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
“Darnell and Kenny, Cabela sends her best wishes for each of you into the future and is thankful that your accomplices were such bad shots and bumbling criminals.” TBVES wrote on its Facebook page yesterday.
“Enjoy your time in a cage where you will still be treated better than you ever treated her and the other dogs. She is sure the other inmates will be impressed with your high level of sophistication and the cruelty of your actions! Have a great life, she certainly is on to better things!”
Amen.
Cabela’s Amazing Recovery
When Cabela was admitted to TBVES, the staff did not predict a great outcome for her, due to her severe injuries. (By the way, Cabela got her new name from vet technician Teena Hicks, who’s a fan of country singer Luke Bryan. The sporting-goods retailer Cabela’s is sponsoring Bryan’s tour.)
Veterinarian Dr. Jamie Davidson initially thought Cabela’s shattered right front leg would need to be amputated, but fortunately it was saved.
“Cabela came through surgery with flying colors and four legs,” TBVES wrote on its Facebook page March 5. “The surgeon decided to pin it instead of amputation. It will be 6 to 8 weeks before we know whether she will regain full use and motion.”
When Cabela’s original owners saw media coverage of her rescue, they contacted Tampa police. They claimed at the time that she had either escaped or been stolen from their yard four months ago. It seemed strange that, after reuniting with their dog last week, they decided not to bring her home. Apparently their decision was not all that strange: They had actually sold Cabela, according to the Tampa Bay Times, but not to Devlin or Bell, the owners said.
TBVES rescue coordinator Steven Pahl told the Tampa Bay Times the hospital has received adoption inquiries from all 50 states and several other countries.
When Cabela is ready for a loving forever home, TBVES and the Humane Society of Tampa Bay will start the adoption process, Pahl said.
This video taken Thursday shows the amazing progress this sweet girl has made, just one week after her surgery. Look at that tail wag!
Donations Pour in From Around the World — and a Certain Namesake
TBVES is covering the cost of Cabela’s veterinary care, but is accepting donations via its website.
“All donations above what is necessary to cover the cost of Cabela’s care will be used for other animals rescued by Tampa Bay Veterinary Emergency Service (last year over 500 injured, ill or orphaned dogs and cats were cared for at our hospital) or will help care for injured or ill pets whose owners are financially limited,” the website states.
When Cabela’s heard about its namesake, the company sent the dog a care package “in a box as big as Cabela’s kennel,” TBVES wrote on its Facebook page. It included a bed, toys, treats and a metal food bowl with the name, “Cabela’s.”
Tampa police officers Nick Wilson and Sr. Sgt. Rich Mills rescued the dog on March 4 after a 911 caller reported hearing gunshots. She was just moments away from being struck by a train.
Although she’d been shot twice in the neck and once in the right shoulder, the dog, who’s been named Cabela, survived.
In a news conference this evening, Detective Sgt. Patrick Messmer of the Tampa Police Department said investigators got a tip leading to a surveillance video in which several people could be seen walking Cabela to the tracks. Two of them — 17-year-old Natwan Callaway and Bobby Hollinger — were arrested and will be tried as adults. Others in the group are also expected to face charges.
Cabela had been bought for dog-fighting purposes, Messmer said. But since she was too sweet tempered to viciously kill other dogs, these thugs decided to viciously kill her.
At first, Hollinger threw Cabela into the woods and shot at her. But Cabela ran back to his house and sat, injured, on his front porch. So Hollinger and Callaway tied her to the railroad tracks, and Callaway shot her three times.
“Nothing gets you ready to see a helpless dog tied to a railroad tracks,” said Sr. Sgt. Mills.
After freeing her, he and Wilson rushed Cabela to Tampa Bay Veterinary Emergency Service (TBVES). Veterinarian Dr. Jamie Davidson initially thought her shattered right front leg would need to be amputated, but during surgery it was able to be pinned and saved instead.
“Cabela came through surgery with flying colors and four legs,” TBVES posted on its Facebook page Friday. “The surgeon decided to pin it instead of amputation. It will be 6 to 8 weeks before we know whether she will regain full use and motion.”
Cabela’s original owners saw media coverage of her rescue last week and contacted Tampa police. They said she either escaped or was stolen from their yard four months ago — and, after reuniting with their dog this week, they decided not to bring her home.
“After a long visit where they were able to touch and cuddle with Cabela, they have made the decision to relinquish ownership and allow Cabela to be placed for adoption once her police hold is lifted,” TBVES reported on its Facebook page Friday.
Cabela is doing well, Katy Meyer, owner of TBVES, said at tonight’s press conference. The bandage on her leg was removed yesterday, and she is able to put a bit of weight on the leg.
TBVES is covering the cost of Cabela’s veterinary care, but is accepting donations via its website.
“All donations above what is necessary to cover the cost of Cabela’s care will be used for other animals rescued by Tampa Bay Veterinary Emergency Service (last year over 500 injured, ill or orphaned dogs and cats were cared for at our hospital) or will help care for injured or ill pets whose owners are financially limited,” the website states.
On a Sunday afternoon in late January, Joseph Potts thought Diesel, a 2-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, was playing too roughly with his own dog at the Bay Area Dog Park in Houston.
So Potts kicked Diesel, knocking him down. He pulled out a Glock 9mm pistol and shot Diesel three times at close range in the back and leg.
Diesel was rushed to a local emergency animal hospital, where he had to be euthanized a few hours later due to the extent of his injuries.
“I just can’t believe somebody would do that when the dog wasn’t even being aggressive,” Melanie Merritt, who saw the shooting, told KHOU at the time.
Another eyewitness told KPRC-TV the dogs appeared to have been playfully tussling at the Bay Area Dog Park. “His dog was not in danger,” he said. “I witnessed everything. No one was in danger.”
When questioned by Harris County sheriff’s deputies, Potts — who is licensed to carry a concealed handgun — told them he did it in self defense when the “Pit Bull” tried to attack his dog. He was allowed to go free while the Harris County District Attorney’s Office reviewed the case.
As outrage grew over the incident, a Support for Diesel page was created on Facebook, and dozens of pet parents attended a protest walk at the Bay Area Dog Park.
“This case has gotten more notoriety than many of our homicides,” Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Tom Gilliland told the Houston Chronicle.
Nearly two months later, justice has finally been served. Potts was arrested Monday and charged with one count of felony cruelty to a non-livestock animal. If found guilty, he faces two to 10 years in prison — and will likely lose that license to carry a gun.
“Animal abuse is a serious offense that will not be tolerated,” Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson said in a press release. “We take all allegations of cruelty to animals very seriously and pursue charges whenever appropriate.”
Randall Livingston, Diesel’s dog dad, told KPRC-TV, “We were pretty excited to hear that news. That was obviously the outcome we were looking for.”
Livingston had Diesel since he was a puppy. “He was an absolutely amazing, beautiful dog,” he told the Houston Press in January. “When anybody came in contact with him — when you were walking down the street, and they were driving — they would roll down the windows and just comment on him: how beautiful he is, how sweet he is. Man, it’s a bad deal. It really is.”
Livingston’s mother took Diesel to the Bay Area Dog Park on Jan. 25. She told police that when she saw Potts kicking Diesel, she yelled at him to grab his collar. Instead, Potts pulled out his Glock.
After Potts was arrested yesterday, he was released on a $5,000 bond.
“Hopefully he would have some form of better judgment or just stay the hell out of the dog park,” Livingston told KPRC-TV.
In addition to the criminal mischief, careless driving and pollution charges he’s already facing, the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NJ SPCA) has charged Andrew Mayer of Toms River, N.J., with one count of third-degree failure to provide proper care by recklessly endangering an animal’s life, according to the NJ SPCA Facebook page.
Just before midnight on Feb. 28, Mayer drove his truck out to the middle of the frozen Toms River and did donuts (drove around in tight circles). He brought along Rolo, his 2-year-old Boxer/Lab mix.
When his truck crashed through the ice, Mayer managed to get out, but could not get Rolo out of the cab. After local police, the New Jersey State Police and the U.S. Coast Guard spent 10 hours — and hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers’ money — searching for the truck, they finally found it the next morning, with Rolo’s body inside.
Mayer’s supporters insist he did his best to get Rolo out of the truck.
“He did almost kill himself trying to save his dog,” his cousin’s fiancée, Helecia Morris, told NJ.com. “He’s completely devastated. His truck, his dog — everything is in this bay.”
The Asbury Park Press reports that Mayer appeared in a Toms River municipal courtroom today as Judge Damian G. Murray read the four charges, which will now be sent to the Ocean County prosecutor’s office. Those officials will decide if Mayer will be indicted on the charges.
The animal cruelty charge (4:2217(c)(2)(3)) could result in a maximum fine of $1,000 and/or up to six months of jail time.
The judge offered Mayer a public defender, but just as he had made the brilliant decision to do donuts on a frozen river, Mayer decided he will represent himself in court.
“Just so you understand, you have third-degree charges against you, which could carry substantial penalties in these matters, as well as a criminal history that could follow you for a considerable period of time,” Murray warned him, according to the Asbury Park Press.
Besides a criminal history, Mayer’s driving history includes 14 traffic violations and 12 suspensions of his driver’s license.
Nope, he would “absolutely” represent himself, Mayer insisted.
‘Why Didn’t the Dog Do the Doggie Paddle?’ — Sgt. Thomas Yannacone
Meanwhile, about seven miles east of Toms River, Sgt. Thomas Yannacone of the Seaside Heights Police Dept. is still under investigation after posting offensive comments about the case on Facebook last week.
“Why didn’t the dog do the Doggie Paddle?” the police officer wrote in one comment. “And was he listening to Van Halen’s ‘Diver Down’ just before going thru the ice? These are the questions I want answered !!!”
And, later:
“Truck plunging thru the ice with a dog inside brings a whole new meaning to FROZEN WEINER or DIRTY WATER DOG. What, to [sic] soon, calm down u animal loving freaks…just be glad it wasn’t a cat because that would have been one WET PU….!!!!!!”
The investigation concerns Yannacone’s possible violation of the police department’s social media policy — not the tasteless comments he made.
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