THE NOAH'S ARK TRAGEDY

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Chad Lamansky and Daniel Myers were accused of breaking into the Noah's Ark animal shelter in Fairfield, Iowa on March 1997 and bludgeoning more than 20 cats with baseball bats. Sixteen animals died while eight other animals were hospitalized for veterinary treatment. Lamansky and Myers, ages 18 and 17 at the time of the incident, were each charged with willfully injuring animals maintained by an animal facility, entering an animal facility with the intent to injure an animal, and third-degree burglary.

A third teen-ager involved in the attack, Justin Tobin, pled guilty to third degree burglary before the trial and agreed to testify against Lamansky and Myers.

Carnage at Noah's Ark

On the morning of March 8, 1997, volunteers for the Noah's Ark Animal Shelter arrived at work to find 15 cats dead and six others severely injured. Animal blood was splattered on the walls and furniture had been overturned. David and Laura Sykes, the founders of Noah's Ark, found dozens of other cats hiding and trembling in fear, but a number of other animals were missing. Days after the gruesome discovery, the body of another dead cat was found as well as two other injured cats. However, several other animals never were found. Three of the injured cats were sent to veterinarian school at Iowa State University for specialized treatment and five others were treated at the Fairfield Animal Clinic. Most of the treated cats survived and were adopted, but one eventually died from its injuries.

Chad Lamansky, Daniel Myers, and Justin Tobin were arrested for the attack one week later. According to police, a few days before the break-in at Noah's Ark, Lamansky and Myers shot, killed, and skinned a cat that belonged to Lamansky's mother and showed it off to their friends. Apparently, the defendants also began telling their friends that they were planning to "get some cats" or "get some bats to get some cats" at the Noah's Ark shelter. And, on the night after the attack, Myers allegedly bragged about the crime to several friends at a party.

Tobin pled guilty to burglary charges on July 15, 1997. He admitted driving his two co-defendants from a local restaurant to pick up baseball bats and then taking them to Noah's Ark on March 7. Tobin claimed that he never participated in the actual bludgeoning of the cats and that he only kicked a cat out of the way during the attack without injuring it. In addition, Tobin said that he was so sickened by the actions of his two friends that he waited in the doorway of the shelter and insisted that they leave after five minutes passed.

As part of his plea agreement, Tobin will serve three years probation and will be required to perform between 100 and 200 hours of community service. Tobin also will partcipate in a Youthful Offender Program.

The Verdict

During jury selection, the defense revealed for the first time that Lamansky and Myers would admit entering the Noah's Ark animal shelter with the intent to injure the animals. So, the only issue at the trial was the cost of the damage they inflicted. On November 8, 1997, Lamansky and Myers were each convicted of willfully injuring the cats at Noah's Ark. They were also convicted of misdemeanors such as criminal trespass with the costs of injury and damage each exceeding $100 and entering an animal facility with intent to injure an animal.

They were sentenced to four years in prison, then suspended to be four years on the Youthful Offender Program, three years probation, 23 days in county jail, and about $5-6000 in fines plus prosecution's court costs. On top of this, the defense is talking about appeal.