Urge Prosecution of Student Who Punched Out the Eyes of a Helpless Emu
Action Alert from All-Creatures.org

FROM

United Poultry Concerns (UPC)
June 2015

[UPDATE September 2015: In June, we urged people to urge attorneys in Comanche, Texas to prosecute the two adults and juveniles who entered the property of Bob and Carol Falk on February 14, 2015, took away their pet emu, Miss Molly, punched her eyes out, and choked her to death. The adults charged with committing this crime were Cassius Mankin and Zachary Boswell. Unfortunately, the case against the juveniles is not available for public inspection.

Regarding Zachary Boswell, United Poultry Concerns was told by the Comanche Justice of the Peace Office in early August that all he was convicted of was “illegal dumping and criminal trespass.” He was placed on “deferred adjudication” which means his criminal acts will not appear on the record as a conviction.

As for Cassius Mankin, he has been formally charged with “felony cruelty to livestock animals.” He is scheduled to be tried as an adult as soon as the judge places his trial date on the docket, which could be in October or December, according to the District Clerk’s Office.

On August 13, 2015, United Poultry Concerns sent Freedom of Information Act requests to the District Clerk’s Office and the Justice of the Peace Office to obtain the records for Cassius Mankin and Zachary Boswell, including police reports, affidavits, depositions and other information relating to their cases. Both the District Clerk’s Office and the Justice of the Peace Office told UPC that they have received many letters and phone calls urging prosecution of Cassius Mankin and everyone who took part in the torture and murder of Miss Molly, an innocent emu who was taken from her home during the night by these criminals.]

ACTION

Please write a letter to the Comanche County District Attorney urging that Cassius Mankin be prosecuted for felony animal abuse. While all forms of animal abuse are egregious, punching out the eyes of a living creature is a particularly brutal act of sadism in the individual who would do this. Molly the emu was a beloved member of a family who suffered the utmost agony and terror at the hands of her sadistic killer.

Contact:

Judicial District Court Attorney B. J. Shepherd
PO Box 368
Meridian, TX 76665
Phone: 254-435-2994
Fax: 254-435-2952
Email address unavailable.

To urge prosecution of the minors who are charged with criminal trespass and criminal mischief, contact:

Comanche County Attorney Craig Willingham
101 West Central
Comanche, TX 76442
Phone: 325-356-2313
Fax: 325-356-3070
Email address unavailable

The long necks and excellent periscopic vision of emus enable them to survey the land for miles in all directions at once.

INFORMATION / TALKING POINTS

On Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2015, eighteen-year old student Cassius Mankin entered the property of Bob and Carol Falk in Comanche County, Texas with several other people, both minors and adults. They took the couple’s emu, Miss Molly, to a party, punched out her eyes and choked her to death. Police charged Mankin, a high school football player, with felony animal abuse.

In a phone call, the Comanche County District Court Attorney’s Office told United Poultry Concerns that the case against Cassius Mankin was “pending.”

Emus are gentle, friendly birds with a strong family life in which both parents actively participate in nest-building, incubating and raising their young. Emus are members of the oldest living family of birds on earth, known as ratites, or flightless fowl, which includes ostriches.

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Thank you for everything you do for animals!

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