Case discussion about the woman charged with murder for killing her husband as he beat her cat

This is a case continuation and discussion about the article posted by Michael on June 3 about 47-year-old Mrs. Mary Harrison who admitted to shooting her husband, 49-year-old Dexter Harrison, dead because he was beating the family cat.

Undoubtedly one of the most controversial killings to hit mainstream news in quite some time, with people divided on whether and with what Harrison should be charged with and the psychological harassment most believe Mary must have experienced for an extended period.

Was it right for her to kill her husband? Did she believe her life was in danger? Should she have been charged with first-degree murder and booked on a $100,000 bond?

While some are saying Mary should be punished for what she did, many, many more are saying they’d have done the same thing and believe the beating of the family cat was done by Mr. Harrison in front of his wife to drive her a wee bit crazier than she could put up with any longer.

It’s been suggested a fundraiser be started to raise bail money. I doubt that would be allowed, it being a case where someone died and a fundraiser would benefit the one who committed the act. Still, a lot of people have stated they’d donate to help free Mary. According to June 4 article on People.com, an attorney who “might speak on Mary Harrison’s behalf was not immediately identified, nor was it clear whether she has yet entered a plea.”

Michael commented on his previous article and his comment sums hit the nail on the head, so to speak.

“Firstly, is there any reason why some people should not value cats as equal to humans? Do humans have to have a superior value to those of other animals? Is it automatic that the value of humans is higher than that of animals including cats? I don’t think so. But you find it bizarre and mad that a person can value the life of a cat over a human. However, this woman might not have valued the life of her cat higher than that of her husband. She might have had a temporary complete loss of self-control because of years of abuse. We don’t know.”

It’s disappointing that none of the news media outlets seem to know who has the cat at this time.

Update from Michael. He contacted CBS DFW for info and they contacted Dallas County Sheriff’s Dept and they said: “She’s still in the Dallas County Jail. There’s information on how to write her here: http://www.dallascounty.org/department/sheriff/inmate_mail.php. We’re not sure what happened to the cat.”

Note: You have to know the jail ID number of the inmate to write to them. I believe that she should be contacted and asked if she’d like help in funding her legal defense. If yes we could start crowdfunding. If you live in Dallas County can you visit her in jail?

I firmly believe women who have suffered domestic abuse (especially involving a pet) have a different view on this situation that those who wear rose-colored glasses and believe it’s impossible that those in a relationship could take out their hate on a defenseless animal. It can happen, it does happen and it’s a proven fact animal abuse leads to abuse of a person.

According to Animal Law: The Link Cruelty to Animals and Violence Towards People

• 100% of sexual homicide offenders examined had a history of cruelty towards animals.
• 70% of all animal abusers have committed at least one other criminal offense and almost 40% have committed violent crimes against people.
• 63.3% of men who had committed crimes of aggression admitted to cruelty to animals.
• 48% of rapists and 30% of child molesters reported committing animal abuse during childhood or adolescence.
• 36% of assaultive women reported cruelty to animals while 0% of non-assaultive women did.
• 25% of violent, incarcerated men reported higher rates of “substantial cruelty to animals” in childhood than a comparison group of non-incarcerated men (0%).
• Men who abused animals were five times more likely to have been arrested for violence towards humans, four times more likely to have committed property crimes, and three times more likely to have records for drug and disorderly conduct offenses.

Please feel free to post your thoughts on this case. What do you think the end result will be? Sounds like the world will be a safer place due to her actions.