Avalon Restaurant owner Beverly Wolfe staged a protest outside the house of a Eureka man she says beat her cat to death with a bat.
The alleged cat killer, named Brandon according Cheri Williams who posted photos of the protest on Facebook, showed his lack of remorse by smiling at the protesters.
Are you saying the accused is the guy in the blue shirt?
No. I’ll post the (blurry) Brandon photo.
Then please take down or crop the photo you have up — quickly.
Photo cropped. Confusion abated.
Looks like there are more tenants than just Brandon. I bet they are real happy with him.
If you are printing this guy’s picture I hope you have proof.
There are some cats which operate as “familiars” with their special human. Cats are very instinctive, wise and wiley… While of course Beverly misses and mourns her cat, and we are all outraged at this young thug’s behaviour, believe me, karma is coming to the thug. Cats don’t fool around with this stuff.
I say beat this asshole to death with a bat. He deserves it, the sick fuck.
I invite this sick fuck to hang out in dark alleys.
I have to agree with Anonymous, I hope there is proof. Brandon is being tried and convicted in the court of public opinion.
Sad to hear of the beating. Why do people do these things?
You could try him in the real courts, but the local courts never punish sociopaths who torture and/or kill animals. I believe local judges approve of the torture and killing of non-human animals. Their actions speak volumes.
Hey, this kid could get a job with the NFL. They seem to really like people who torture and kill animals (gee whiz, that’s not surprising!).
At least he didn’t post a youtube video like those Canadian dudes.
Where’s Arkley when she needs him?
foie gras?
anytime a boy or man tortures and kills any animal……..they are deeply disturbed psychologically …….and a very real DANGER to everyone around them.
The cops should visit his home and see what’s inside as well as what’s on his computer.
Why is this even on the blog without backstory, proof, evidence of any kind? Should we just hang this guy because some random person we’ve never heard of accuses him based on… what?
This is not responsible blogging.
Did Beverly file a police report? Was there an investigation? Why is the guy being targeted? The more I think about this post, the more pissed I get. This guy is real victim, he is being publicly attacked and Herado is helping to feed the frenzy. This is the absolutely irresponsible blogging.
I’m betting heraldo is a friend of Beverly’s since my post about her was deleted.
I have to agree with the folks who are asking for at least some pertinent details as to how this happened, who witnessed it and whether or not a police report has been filed. You’re accusing this man of committing a felony without any evidence other than a woman holding a sign claiming he did it.
1:19pm unless Heraldo is secretly friends with Arkley I dont think he is friends with Wolf…but then he could secretly be friends with Arkley
I think Scott LaMorte and josephescott raise very sensible questions.
The Humboldt Herald is very much a local news source. Is it responsible to publish an allegation together with a photograph of an alleged criminal sociopath at their home without any supporting information.
Is Beverly Wolfe at least saying she witnessed anything? The facebook page doesn’t indicate one way or the other.
I hope the Eureka PD provides protection at this guy’s house. We don’t need vigilante justice.
This is despicable, heraldo. You finger this guy without a trial, without even any proof. You call him guilty and say his smile is proof of his lack of remorse. You stupid idiot! A smile can be proof of his innocence, too. Who died and made you the judge of the world? What a powerful self-inflicted wound you have given your credibility!
And what a state of anarchy we would have to live in if more people followed your example.
And now there’s this at the facebook site:
UPDATE: Bev’s husband was hit by a car last night at 10 pm. The driver was Brandon’s father and his roommate was there! Brandon’s last name is ****** and the girlfriend at ****** is ***** or ***** (something like that).
Heraldo, this is not helpful. I’ve followed your blog for years and this is the first time I really think you’ve made a major mistake in blogging something. At the very least, the photos are premature.
Don’t you think posting that comment from facebook is also a mistake? Good thing I didn’t put it on the front page!
I reread my own comment of 2:14 pm and I want to add this: A smile is not evidence of anything. Not of guilt and not of innocence.
But pointing to a smile as evidence of guilt make me think of one of the crimes of the past century, when a black teenager was horribly beaten and murdered for the “crime” of supposedly whistling at a white woman.
Whistles and smiles are not crimes and they are not evidence of crimes.
Vigilante action doesn’t need real evidence. All it needs is a fear, and a hate, and a strong desire to dip its hands in somebody else’s blood.
Watch out, Heraldo. You are starting to walk down a well-worn path that leads nowhere worth going.
He admitted to killing the cat, he actually bragged about it!!! Please don’t refer to him as a victim!
Heraldo, this is the most cowardly thing that I’ve ever seen done on a blog. Whether or not the man is guilty has not been determined by a fair trial in a court of law.
What’s even worse is that you are anoymous, something in the U.S. Constitution says that a person has the right to know his accuser. If I were this man I would demand that your name become as public as you have made him.
Having said that, if the man truly did what he is accused of, I hope they throw the book at him. But, not your blog.
I just saw the woman with the sign when I was paying my speeding ticket. She was wearing the same clothes. She looked pissed.
It’s a good thing I used the word “alleged” in this post or you all would be really upset.
Yes, that’s real honorable of you heraldo. Do you still alegedly beat your wife?
Since the Humboldt Herald cares about reader opinions, the update containing the blurry photo of the alleged cat killer has been removed.
Carry on.
Everyone is guilty until proven innocent. Oops, Freudian slip :)
But in all seriousness, is it not the freedom of the press that allows for needed transparency? For justice?
Are sex offenders not listed for the safey of the public?
If this guy really killed that cat, shouldn’t neighbors have the right to know?
I feel much sorry and empathy for all involved, including the alleged cat killer.
That’s probably good. I can still totally tell exactly where that house is based on the picture. I have a bit of a photographic memory. Or streetographic or something. At least nobody can tell exactly how far south of Harris the house is without showing the actual house. I mean… not south… or something.
HERALDO,
Thank-you for removing the photo, you truly have a sense of fairness. You’ve made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Jeff, Sex offenders usually get a trial or a hearing before they are posted on an official police posting, not the Humboldt Herald
Although I admire Heraldo’s zeal, and I certainly understand his outrage, he probably should leave the process to the law.
Was there really absence of malice?
I use the “His”-isms loosely, based purely on Heraldo being a Spanish male appellation. That and “his” photo looks a little male-ish.
Good show Heraldo.
Next time it might be better to cover all your bases with title alleged cat killer protest, caption the first pic alleged picture of protest, and then the third picture alleged picture of alleged perpetrator… allegedly posted on this alleged blog.
The original intent was to post only the photo of Beverly and her sign, but confusion ensued following my failure to crop the photo (see the first comment in this thread).
Thanks for all the feedback. Now we can return to the civil, peaceful discussions we’ve come to expect from the Herald.
You are still linking to the photos of him and his house on facebook.
I say congrats to you Heraldo. If I knew where this jerk lived I would be standing in front of his house too.
Ernie I love your blog dearly and I know it would never happen as we all keep our animals contained but I can totally see her frustration. I see how you love Twizzle and if someone lured her away and killed her it would be so heart wrenching I know you would be rocked to your core.
The police do not love our animals and feel this pain and compared to other situations they deal with this is not a top priority. Also people are in fact getting away with murder in this county. So in this case thank you Heraldo for letting us know about this vile man. These days everyone is afraid of the consequences of revealing anything about people like this for fear of retribution I applaud this woman for letting neighbors know what this man did. Animals are 3rd class citizens in our society and cannot protect themselves. Someone has to point out this person so perhaps others wont be hurt. And I am willing to give this woman the benefit of the doubt.
“Was there really absence of malice?
I’ll take Heraldo’s heads-up for what it is.
“I use the “His”-isms loosely, based purely on Heraldo being a Spanish male appellation. That and “his” photo looks a little male-ish.”
Thanks for clearing that up, Ernie, because I was beginning to think that you had a problem with anonymous Heraldo and his blog. For a moment I thought you had dropped your baggage and displayed your scattered under-wear.
Thanks for removing that second photo, Heraldo.
If he did what he’s accused of, I hope he gets a jail sentence and mandated time with a shrink (although I wouldn’t be surprised if that latter is unconstitutional). But I don’t think a mob beating — or worse — is an appropriate punishment, and I’m glad the Herald is no longer facilitating that option.
If some alleges a politician is crooked, by all means tell us. But please don’t post photographs of people accused of unpopular crimes, at least until they get to speak in court.
How come you’re packing panties, Ern?
Yeah, let’s just cover this up. Ain’t nobody’s business.
Beverly found her cat in the street. She thought it had been run over by a car. Took it to her vet, spent lots of money and the cat died soon after. Brandon bragged to a neighbor about hitting the cat with a baseball bat,
this neighbor told the owner. Hopefully Brandon will be charged with animal cruelty. Would be great to have a website of people convicted of animal abuse. Was he high on meth? Maybe. What kind of person beats a cat with a bat? He will soon move and new neighbors need to be aware of him.
That’s enough back-story for me. Why not put the picture back up?
The picture is up. Click on red “Photos of the protest on Facebook” in Heraldo’s intro up above.
This is exactly what sick people do. It is not enough to be happy with what you did. They had to bragg about it to others. A lot of criminals get caught this way. All they have to do is not tell anyone. But they have to tell someone and often that is their undoing.
Good for you Heraldo for exposing this sicko to his neighbors. Truth be told I doubt that he will be prosecuted. They will wait until he does it to a human or to the chiefs pet.
So, you’ll remove the blurry picture of the alleged cat killer, but you will leave up his address??? I thought the issue of where the matter should be settled had been dealt with???
did anyone ever try and find out the facts or do you all live off of hear say? do you ohnestly believe some kid lured a cat into his house and killed it for fun? you all watch way too much tv. i know dramas fun but maybe you guys should leave this to the cops, who are actually trying to solve the problem rather than escalate it.
how can you all just take someones word as fact, how stupid is it to act upon hear say.Do you actually believe some kid just decided to lure a random cat in the house and beat it? i dont know what type of people you all live around to assume this behaviour, but i think you watch too much tv. Before you get some kid killed by an angry mob dont you think you should know the facts, or are you all in it for the drama?
I am apparently one of the few people who actually did some research on this subject. I am a consciencious neighbor who does not think it fair that crazy people are allowed to slander good people without any kind of proof. These people are lying through their teeth. The cat was brought back to them after it was killed accidently when it was in someone else’s house. This world really does not need any more fanatics making up lies about others just to satisfy their own inadequacies. Shame on you!!
In America, we used to think you were innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. But America is long gone, even on the left.
This entire item should be removed.
The point is not that killing a cat is awful — of course it is. The point is that there is a legal system to deal with situations like this. Vigilante justice, even in the form of spreading an accused person’s identity, is not justice.
A lot of innocent people have had their lives completely ruined by allegations of, for example, child molestation. Sadly, too many people think an accusation is proof of guilt.
why isnt the guy who told beverly the “truth” talking to cops and telling them? why isnt he at any of the protests to slander the “cat killers”? why does the guy who started this whole ordeal have nothing to do with it now? does that seem suspicious to you?
So a neighbors tell Beverly that the guy hit her cat with a bat. Another neighbor did some investigation and found out that it was another neighbor who brought the cat back to Beverly after an incident at their house. So, what is the real story here.
This whole blog entry should be removed, it will follow Brandon where ever he goes from this point on in his life. There are actual facts that he did anything but show up at his house and then was harassed by people picketing his home. If I were him I would be looking for a good attorney who wants to take on a slander case.
This is as low as “journalism” can go without making up fiction.
i think the real sociopaths are the ones threatening to beat a kid with a bat for an alleged action, alleged people seem to like that word on this blog well you were all allegedly informed
Did you ever tell your spouse something and the very next day find out that your message was completely misunderstood? Whether due to inattention or poor hearing, what you said was completely misunderstood. That happens frequently in my house.
Human communication is too fraught with “static” to base the potential destruction of a person’s reputation on something that someone claimed they heard that person say.
That kind of rumor-mongering is how lynch mobs start. People tell themselves and their neighbors that the police don’t care about the crime and won’t enforce the law. So these self-righteous people rise up angry. They take the law into their own hands. They dish out the punishment they feel is due. They act as if their snap judgments are superior to the judgment of “We, the People” who established this republic so many years ago.
Later, if it turns out the individual they lynched was innocent, the members of the lynch mob must stop their bragging and instead live out their lives in silence and shame.
Think about that. Think about America’s historical precedents for lynch law before you aid and abet a necktie-party. Including this one.
I think the real sociopaths are people who can’t construct a sentence.
the word for being unable to complete a sentence is ignorant, not sociopath….at least make a good smart ass remark if youre gonna make one
good Smart Ass remarks are hard to come by on this blog… try a Cat and the Bat spoof.
A very sad story still, and maybe the actual facts will come out sooner or later.
The whole situation is one of the most emotionally fraught scenarios that anyone could conjure. I actually hate to think what I would do if that had happen to my pet. That is why it is up to uninvolved people to insist on fairness and fair play. The cops should be involved in this to the fullest extent, and we should all insist that this poor woman be told the complete truth. If the person responsible is actually guilty, he should be punished.
I don’t think that it is at all productive to whip up hate amongst the uninformed.
I think the talk of lynch mobs is a bit over-heated. What happened is in question at this point. Heraldo is getting beat up pretty badly by the anti-anonymous crowd – big surprise. I do not think any historical precedents will be revealed today on this thread, perhaps no hysterical ones either. I’ve read some pretty outlandish statements from both sides, but, I’ve read nothing to lead me to believe anybody is in danger. If anything, I’m convinced that anonymity is the better part of valor and that pride is a poor substitute for self-respect.
there has been police involvement, almost 24/7 actually, 2 times for beverly getting physical. this woman has been told the truth, and still continues to believe hearsay, theres really nothing these “cat killers” can do. she believes what she wants
“I don’t think that it is at all productive to whip up hate amongst the uninformed.”
Like those folks thinking Obama’s health care plan includes the euthanasia of one’s grandparent.
People want to know how my cat died? Brendan Hinnman told me he beat my cat with a bat and threw him into the street. His girlfriend Kristen told me she kicked my cat. They told me this just two days ago, on Monday, weeks after my cat was killed. The night my cat died Kristen took my phone number from my cat’s collar and called me to anonymously report at 12:30 in the morning, that “your cat is killed in the alley”. This Monday when I called police after the pair’s “confession” police arrived, Brendan told the police he beat my cat with a bat. I stood there while he said it. He had no remorse. and Kristen admitted she made the call to me.
I did not “stage a protest”. I was there with my sign because I was told that charges could be pressed only when the DA’s office moved forward. People that knew me and sympathized showed up. I told them I did not want them to stand in the street and to stay back and be safe. In the photo I was gesturing with my head back as I was saying “move back out of the street.”
SOmeone reports they saw me in the courthouse wearing the same clothes as the photo? Get a life!
I am embarrassed at the comments of the people who actually have demeaned me and attempted to protect Brendan Hinnman and Kristen Nelson. Shame on you. The only reason I have read this blog and responded here is that someone told me that a person named Heraldo had tried to make the public aware of the incident and was getting alot of bad flack for doing it. This is the second time I have ever SEEN a blog. I will not be back to read responses, so whatever you say now, will not fall upon my ears.
Brendan Hinnman’s room mate Shawn Parker and his father did assault my husband as he was out walking with our dog last night and then got back in their vehicle and drove directly into my husband. Yes, the police came and yes there are reports. We are waiting now for the justice system to move forward, and I trust it will.
And to you “anonymous” whoever you are as you hide behind your moniker, if you should ever suffer such a loss and such cruelty I hope kind people extend to you and God is kind to you. There may be sunlight out there if you get out from behind the blog where you are posting every few minutes.
Be kind, be safe, and may God bless and watch over you all.
No matter what has been done to me in the past – and there has been plenty – I have never encouraged and will never encourage people to destroy other people’s reputations based on hearsay.
If there is evidence, let’s at least see the evidence before we take one person’s word over another’s. How do we know whether Beverly has clean hands in this situation? We don’t. Because all we have is hearsay. Nothing but hearsay.
(For Beverly’s information, many different people post messages under the name “Anonymous.” Not just me.)
Beating to death an innocent animal is not only cruel, but disgusting. there is no excuse for this behavior. What is this area coming to, that he can do this and get away with it with nothing but a grin on his face. Where is the compassion? this pet was like a child to it’s owner, and because some cocky asshole decides it is in his yard, he thinks he has the right to beat it to death? God help you, if you appear in my back yard. Paybacks are a bitch.
dude leave brendon alone. none of you guys no what the fuck actually happened. what would you do if some crazy ass cat came into your house tried to eat the rest of your animals and shit and scared your girlfriend,,then what the fuck would you do? just leave it alone??
DUDe this is not true leave him alone you guys have no lifes
I wonder how many people casually keep baseball bats. I’m sure that there are more bat owners than ball players. And if I were the type to entertain ideas of home invasion for personal gain, the possibility of a man with a baseball bat would quickly change my mind. Because of that, people own bats.
Now again lets assume that I’m the type to have my fun by taking an animals life. would I use my baseball bat and hope that Im fast enough to catch a cat, or would I choose to use something more efficient, ie anti-freeze, pellet guns, cars or a dog or something. all Im trying to point out is that with a little premeditation it would be terribly easy for a ‘sick-o’ to do, avoiding consiquenses entirely.
But Brandon didn’t. He grabbed his defense system (bat), He defended his loved ones and home, and never denied what happened. If there was an unknown ANYTHING in my home at night, I would really hope to have a baseball bat also, cat or not.
Good luck with that DA thing. It shouldn’t take standing in the street with a sign. Especially for Beverly. C’mon Paul – this is certainly more worthy than the toddler wandering.
so a cats life is more worthy than a childs is that what you are sayin
I hope Beaverly gets justice.
Cat poo can make you blind!
I can’t figure this thing out, was this a crazed cat terrorizing the neighborhood? Or just another punk that gets kicks out of hurting animals?
if heraldo can erase the comment posted last night saying they ate that cat for dinner shouldnt he erase the comment with the “cat killers” name considering its slander by law to have those posted
I’m sad Ms. Wolfe’s cat is dead. I’m sad there are sociopaths in the world who beat cats. As I’ve said before, we have a legal system to find the truth and administer punishment. If we skip the legal system and start using blogs, we are down the road to vigilante justice.
I think I understand Ms. Wolfe’s anger and pain. Her anger and pain more than explains her standing in the street with a sign. But I don’t understand or support the Herald’s role in this; the legal process is MOST important when emotions are high and all the facts are not on the table.
The only shame here belongs to the Herald and its anonymous operator(s).
Maybe after Ms. Wolfe loses a slander/libel lawsuit to this person and he owns the Avalon the prices may come down and the food might get better.
Bravo, Old Glory. From a lefty.
this is just a giant game of telephone for abunch of little kids with herald startin it all
so herald how long have you and beverly been friends since you erase all the postes about her
When one is accused of animal abuse or killing an animal generally that is the case. This guy reminds me of the individual who smiled in court when he was being convicted of child molestation. Remember him he was shot by the child’s mother in Tuolumne County. Polly Klass murderer smiled in court too. And yes I remember now, the Son of Bitch represented by Paul Gallegos in 2002 was smiling and enjoying the entire trial. Obviously the individual is feeling confident he will not be held accountable.
I find it absolute bullshit regarding the use of the term “vigilante justice” in this case. I only hear this term when it comes to those who speak out about animals and women.
I will speak about this topic on my show tonight called The Animal Advocate, on KMUD from 7:00 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eureka 88.3 on the dial or you can listen on-line at KMUD.org. Bev call me I left a message on your answering machine.
Avalon has the best food in town. Bar none.
did I not read that the alleged cat killer admitted to the killing, or was I up too late again last night???
Animal expresses what I was thinking about vigilante justice. Does a conversation about a specific case of animal cruelty have to be hushed because it is an emotional issue? Accusations of pouring gas on peoples’ high emotions for the sake of escalating a mob action are is childish. When a crime takes place is it wise to do nothing? Say nothing? When we can’t even talk about a crime because it hasn’t moved through the court to a final conclusion, then something is way wrong. We are not judge and jury. We are not sworn to secrecy. Stop it! This crime should be discussed as well as our individual emotions. Animal rights laws are being passed in every State. As a society we grow – become better. There is a time for shouting – its part of the process – then there is a time to discuss what has happened, how laws can be passed, and how we and our children, and our pets can be made safer.
What you read is that Ms. Wolfe SAYS the person admitted to hitting the cat. Can you understand why that’s not proof? Can you understand that may not be the whole story?
I can’t believe the attitude shown here. The time to punish people for crimes is after a trial, assuming a jury of their peers find them guilty.
If Ms. Wolfe can’t get the DA to press charges, she can sue the person for civil damages and work towards replacing the DA. And the DA can try explaining himself.
Perhaps the Palin Republicans here would be happier if the poor cat got blown away by some double-ought buckshot. I feel sorry for the cat, I really do. I try to be nice to all the cats I meet.
According to law, if a human being enters your house and threatens you or your family then you are entitled to use deadly force to deal with the situation.
I don’t know the specifics of this of course, but if the animal was inside his house and he felt threatened, then he has the right to dispatch the cat by any means necessary, including a baseball bat. Think about it. There have been lots of reports of rabid foxes in the area. There are lots of feral cats. Would you feel threatened?
have a peaceful day,
Bill
9:15 wrote:
Oh. Thank you. Well, never mind the legal system then. He’s “generally” guilty. People never cease to amaze me.
9:51,
I’ll speak for myself. I am horrified that someone would abuse an animal, and I think there should be jail time if the person is found guilty. I also think anyone who would do that is probably dangerous in general, and would bear watching. I don’t think I’ve heard anyone here suggest that animal abuse is not a serious problem, or that it should be hushed up.
I’m arguing that for emotional crimes, precisely like animal abuse, it’s not helpful to convict someone in public without a trial.
If you disagree, fine, we disagree. But please don’t try to suggest that anyone is minimizing what happened.
You make a sign labeling this Brandon/Brendon a sociopath. You stage a big protest in front of his house. You post pictures of your protest on facebook. You get a life.
I reported that you looked pissed. I was paying my ticket on the side of the courthouse. I never went into the building. You said you were in the courthouse. Were you trying to pull some strings?
So now that Brandon’s life is ruined, and he will have to move out the area and change his name. What has been accomplished? His name and address have been posted for all the world to read.
He has not been charged by law enforcement with a crime. He has not been arrested. Yet he has been deemed a “cat killer” by a faceless and nameless jury.
If a crime has been committed, law enforcement will take the proper steps to see that justice – in whatever form that may be – is done. An impartial justice system allows for justice to be equal to that of the crime, not equal to the emotional rage of the victim. There is a reason the wheels of justice move slow; to ensure a just and proper verdict.
At this point we, the general public, know nothing. We have rumors, hearsay and some photos – no real evidence. Brandon needs to be allowed to live his life free of public accusation until such time that he is actual charged with a crime.
Until then, he is innocent in the eyes of the law and should be in ours also.
Hope that Brandon can get his grow moved out of the upstairs bedroom of the house and get everything cleaned up soon. It’s a major mess in there now, dirt all over the floors, busted chairs from another big fight, and crap piled all over.
Sure would be disgusting if Kristen is serving beaten and ground up pets over at Fresh Freeze where she works. Best not eat there for a while, eh?
F’ing skanky lowlifes, all of them.
Hopefully this drama doesn’t cause any copy cat killings.
What can happen when people get mad and take the law into their own hands? What happens when they demand instant justice and to hell with the law? What happens when they move too quickly, before they even know what really happened?
For one view of what can happen, and in fact has often happened, see http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=434290
That is Turner Classic Movies description of what happened in “The Oxbow Incident” – a movie made in 1943 that illustrates some ongoing realities about human nature.
You really ought to check it out.
The names of accused are published in news papers.
News stories about named accused criminals abound throughout the media.
Usually only when the police are seeking a suspect. When an alleged criminal is named by a newspaper without police involvement, it is called “naming and shaming” and is counter-productive to justice. It is only done to make money selling newspapers.
This is an interesting community story. Everyone here is right…in a way. It isn’t the lady’s fault for being mad (I would be writing this from lock up if it happened to my cat), in fact restrained….Heraldo is just doing his job, we are doing ours in the community by letting our opinions known, in my opinion, the only person at fault here is the DA for not jumping on this and getting the facts out one way or another. A rockie cop could have figured this out if the above statements of witnesses are correct. Either it was justified or a sleeze ball is in jail waiting for bond and trying to figure out how he will ever pass a background check for the rest of his life. Where are the police? Dem or Rep I think we can all agree on this one.
Anonymous 1:02 and 1:21 misses the point. The people whose names appear in the paper have been charged by the District Attorney with committing a crime, based on evidence, not on rumor and emotion.
And people are charged with, and found guilty of, serious crimes only to be proven innocent years later based on evidence. No one is going to be found guilty and sentenced based on a public discussion. Public opinion will not be weighed in court. If someone is alleged to be dangerous to the community, the community should not have its hands tied, their eyes blinded, and their ears plugged out of some sense of propriety to the alleged perp.
2:08,
Judge Learned Hand, possibly the best American judge never named to the Supreme Court, was famously quoted as saying he wished these words were above every courthouse: “think that ye might be mistaken.”
No one is asking that the community’s hands be tied, eyes be blinded, ears plugged.
Personally, I believe Ms. Wolfe is well within her rights to picket the house of someone she alleges killed her cat. My concern is that the Herald is making available, to the entire world, the name and location of the person she is alleging killed her cat.
What is the benefit to our community that this information is available in such a rush? According to at least one person, the named person hasn’t even been charged with anything by the police.
Is anyone feeling more protected, by the fact that there is no 24, 48, or perhaps 72 hour delay while the police investigate the facts? Or, if the police have investigated and not charged this person, are we better off that he has been identified, despite not being arrested, let alone indicted, tried, or convicted? I’ll answer my question: no. People don’t feel more protected — they feel more self-righteous, angry, and agitated. Some posters have already made macho and stupid suggestions as to what instant justice they’d like to mete out.
No one, not even Ms. Wolfe, would have been harmed if the Herald had waited a day or two, to get a more complete story.
This matters. Technology has changed so that everyone can now be their own reporter. Newspapers, for all their faults, have generally had reporters that understood the basic fairness issue involved in this sort of situation. This was irresponsible of the Herald’s proprietors, and I hope they at least consider that he/she/they were dangerously wrong in this instance.
Nowhere above or anywhere on this blog did I note the location of the alleged cat killer.
One commenter gave a location and it was deleted.
Well thank you for that.
Does this mean that there will be a new menu item at Avalon?
“People don’t feel more protected – they feel more more self-righteous, angry, and agitated.”
You left out vigilant. I have no problem that the community feels self-righteous, angry, and agitated – they should be. You know, I believe we need to have laws. But, in this situation the law looks like an ass.
I suppose they recognized which street is very obviously pictured in that photo.
That is fine with me about the location being known. Not only was the cat killed, the owner’s husband was assaulted and hit with a motor vehicle. Adults would do well to keep their children and their pets away from that place.
Barbara “Animal” Shults decrying violence, there’s a laugh, after HumCo Superior Court slapped a restraining order on her for “presenting a threat to physical safety” of a local journalist.
Good job using this tragedy to promote your KMUD show, Babs. Can’t wait to tune in and hear how angry you can really get.
Anyone who abuses animals should be given a fair trial and if found guilty, have their names entered into a data base just like convicted sex offenders. I see no difference between abusing a child and abusing an animal.
There is an eye-opening article in the Chronicle today about the uselessness (and danger) of the sex offender registry. While the culture at large would like to pretend sexual predators are strangers who jump out of bushes, the reality is that most of them are family members.
Anyone who sticks up for animals deserves our support. Beverly, Barbara, Shannon, SHS, etc.
After the repeated failure of our sainted D.A. to win convictions even in the most horrendous animal abuse cases, I can find no fault in people having little faith in the system and wanting to take matters into their own hands.
Heraldo, there was recently a very detailed cover story and article in “The Economist” on this same topic and the failure of the system that has been put in place to “protect” our children – that it is mainly an illusion.
I’ll look for it. There have been asinine restrictions on kindergarten teachers who hug children and other pointless measures (convicting 19 year-olds who have sex with their 15 year-old girlfriends) while dangerous offenders freely abuse children in their own (or their family member’s) houses.
Here it is: Unjust and ineffective.
Heraldo, here is a link to the Sex Offenders missing in Humboldt County….look at all the check marks.
http://oldgloryradio.com/wordpress/?p=414
“Animals are 3rd class citizens”?
ANIMALS ARE NOT CITIZENS!!!!!
good lord…
and I completely agree at the ridiculous sex offender registry as well as taking our shoes off at airports. Neither protects anyone, all they do is comfort the crazies ( the public).
What’s the justice system status? Police reports done? Does the DA have the case?
If the husband was hit with a car why are the evildoers not it jail?
Scheech, I don’t know what happened with that link…sorry Heraldo
I have twice been on the receiving end of Ms. Wolf’s amazing temper. If, in fact, her statements are accurate AND true I have the deepest sympathy for her loss.
However, Ms. Wolf could have been told complete falsehoods by the alleged cat-killer simply to see someone’s neck-vein violently protrude as they yell bizarre accusations at you. A frenzy of escalating, senseless anger not uncommon between people.
Without defending a potential criminal, Eureka has a serious feral-cat problem and rabies is a legitimate issue. Three years ago my neighbor moved-out with their 6 domestic cats, and the populations of wild Alligator Lizards, birds, Garter Snakes and Pacific Giant salamanders in our neighborhood have not returned.
Cats catch everything that moves, and kill everything they catch.
Not so! Cats separated from their mothers too early don’t learn how to hunt successfully. That’s how I was able to keep my beloved cat for 16 years and yet never lose a single songbird from my back yard. My old cat really wanted to catch those birds, but his technique was laughable.
Those other cats, the competent hunters, they help keep the population of rodents down to a reasonable level in this Victorian Seaport of ours.
“Eureka has a serious feral-cat problem…”
It’s more like a feral human problem. Unfortunately, they own dogs and cats.
Just curious; have any of the blind followers of Beverly Wolfe bothered to see if her claims were substantiated at all? How about this? Why don’t you ‘blind believers’ check to see how many of her other neighbors have restraining orders against her for forcing her insanity on them and their lives. There is a very grave injustice happening here. The only one doing anything ‘sick’ in this neighborhood is Beverly Wolfe and her disturbed cohorts. Maybe someone should tell her to put the bottle down and help her see a little more clearly before her drunken antics land her in jail.
I live in the neighborhood, and all I can say is all the people defending these losers on philosophical grounds need to welcome them into your own neighborhood. They are being evicted from their dump, so give them a call. They’ve had a series of parties in the last few weeks that consist of a lot of amateur drinking (meth?) and really neato rebel yells until 3 am. And I also heard they admitted to killing the cat in their house and throwing it out and calling the owner to see her reaction. You “feral cat” dipshits need to pipe down.
Hopefully they won’t get ahold of your feral kids in their yard or house.
Why is this even on the blog without backstory, proof, evidence of any kind? Should we just hang this guy because some random person we’ve never heard of accuses him based on… what?
This is not responsible blogging.
The protest itself is news. When the owner of a major business is carrying a sign outside a neighbor’s house, it’s a story worthy of attention. If it turns out she’s making stuff up or going off half-cocked, then that will also be a story. If the authorities are slow in investigating something like this and not making its conclusions public, that is also a story.
The cat was brought back to them after it was killed accidently when it was in someone else’s house.
Umm. Sorry. This statement requires a great deal of clarification. How does one “accidently” kill a cat with a blunt intrument, whether it’s in your house or someone else’s. If that’s the explanation – wow!
5:43 pm,
I understand your concern. Throughout society, there are homes which have the same crap going on – even single moms and dads who have high-schoolers over for party time while using their own under-aged high school children to get into the pants of a minor. Talk about lack of confidence by the adult while using their own child as a “sex darft tool”.
Jeffrey Lytle
McKinleyville – 5th District
“And I also heard they admitted to killing the cat in their house…”
How stupid are you? You heard something, so it must be true? I suppose you believe everything you read, too? Even if some of what you read contradicts other things you read, I guess you believe it all. How do you do that?
You people are hilarious. Do you know that for libel to be proved, the person making the accusations has to know they are false? You can’t be held libel for something you believe to be true. And for those of you claiming Brendan Hinnman is ruined, perhaps you should do a bit of research. A simple Google search tells me that Brendan is a convicted felon who was last arrested with drugs and a loaded handgun not quite a year ago. The HCSD issued a press release about it. I guess they’re libel now. *eye roll*
Yes, Heraldo, many are victimized in their own homes. But sometimes they are your neighbors. The Megan’s Law website helped us keep an eye on the grandfatherly-looking slimeball who lived across the street from us and was once hanging out in the neighborhood park, located about 50 yards from his front door.
I think there is a distinct difference between vigilance and vigilantism, folks. Knowing the proclivity of your neighbors is not necessarily a bad thing.
Heraldo, that article raises some excellent points, but I don’t think any of them couldn’t be addressed by refining the law. I am less sympathetic to the 27 year old who slept with a 15 year old than the 19 year old. I wouldn’t want the 19 year old on permanent offender lists, but I’m not so sure about the 27 year old. And certainly the girl who gave her same age boyfriend a blow job should not have even been prosecuted, let alone put on these lists.
I am certainly open to the question of whether these lists actually make anybody safer. I checked the list and there is only one person in Redway. But I have to confess that I wonder about where he is and whether my kids are safe. Maybe that’s an argument against the list, I haven’t thought it through.
As I said on the OGR blog, I don’t think the mere possession of child porn necessarily makes someone a danger to children, though I do believe it should be adequately deterred. Same with indecent exposure (to other adults) or lewd acts in a public restroom when it’s not aimed at children. But those who violently impose sexual acts on others, and those who prey on real live children, I’m sorry for their suffering due to these lists, but measured against my childrens’ safety the concern just doesn’t weigh as much.
That being said, harsher penalties are never enough. Anything put before voters calling for harsher penalties against child predators will always pass, because the “scumbags” always deserve worst, no matter what they’re getting now. Unfortunately more is not always better, and sometimes it makes things worse all the way around. It’s one area of criminal justice policy which probably ought to be left out of public politics because there is simply no way to deal with it rationally in a political forum. It’s the type of thing that a legislature doing its job should do with expert testimony, data gathered in as unbiased fashion as possible, and sober and rational deliberation. Unfortunately, that doesn’t exist anymore. If it ever did.
Hey, the cops are over at Brandon’s again right now. Poor misunderstood Brandon. I mean, who amongst us has not killed a neighbor’s cat with a club in self defense? It’s his constitutional right, like owning a Mac-14.
Why don’t some of the churchies or whoever you are that were doing all the anonymous support work for him on this site just let him and his sweet little honey move into your place? They can babysit for you, but hopefully they won’t need to defend themselves against a little kid.
New Baku:
The false sense of security, known as Megans law, had you keeping an eye on the convicted sex offender, meanwhile those that aren’t on the list ( that you aren’t watching) are still continuing business as usual..
“Beverly’s Cat”
A great name for a band….
This is terible how can someone beat a cat or any living creature to death and then sleep at night. I like what was said earlier because it is true what goes around comes around and those responsible will get theirs in the end believe that.
i will beat that guy who would do that to a cat sick people
So this guy just killed your cat for no reason why was he even living in the area did he have a background before doing this to your poor cat??