Judge Tim Langford sentenced Edward Ream, 68, to JUST 90 days in county jail and a $250 fine.
"Some of those dogs were loved like kids are loved," said Langford. "You hurt them, and that's bad."
Ream's original trial resulted in a mistrial last November due to a mistake in jury selection. Ream then plead guilty but withdrew his plea this past January and opted to go a trial rather than pay restitution for dogs to which he says he did not plead guilty.
His two-day trial last month had Ream's attorney Jeremy Ian Smith claiming the dogs were trespassing on Ream's property. Commonwealth Attorney Mike Stacy said Ream did not just kill animals. "He lured animals to his house for the purpose of destroying them," he said.
During the trial, Ballard County Animal Control Officer James Campbell had testified that he and other officers had obtained a search warrant and found four containers of meat soaking in antifreeze as well as a gallon of antifreeze that was half-empty. When speaking to Ream, Campbell said Ream responded saying, "Hell yes, I did it. I'm getting tired of those dogs [peeing] on my porch."
Campbell also testified he had received several complaints regarding sick or dead dogs dating back to 1999.
Smith argued the prosecution had no direct evidence to support its claims. "No matter what dog you want to talk about, there is no evidence that on any day that they say a dog was poisoned that there was antifreeze out anywhere on my client's property," he said.
Smith had also said there was no investigation into anyone other than Ream and that animal control was at fault for not documenting the investigation. The jury foreman and another jury member had spoken after they delivered their verdict last month saying the jury truly believed Ream was guilty of all of the charges, but they found reasonable doubt on all but one of the charges. "We couldn't prove it, but we felt he had something to do with it all," one juror said.
During sentencing on Friday Judge Langford reminded Ream of what the jury foreman had said. "They thought you did every one of them over the course of year. Terrible thing."
As the sentencing took place just days after Memoria Day, Langford said he was disappointed to have to sentence a veteran to jail, who had no previous criminal record.
"You know what the big tragedy of this is? You served this country honorably in Vietnam. You were a door gunner," he said. "And I suspect you done your job real well."
Oh good lord. Seriously? We have to kiss his ass because he did one good thing 40 years ago? Hell, I'm sure Ted Bundy did something nice in his life before he started raping, strangling and killing girls. Way to forget all about the poor animals - which died horrible deaths - judge, while you're busy kissing this monster's ass.
With Ream facing 74 days left of his sentence after already serving 16 days following the trial, Langford added that he hoped Ream would come out with respect for other people's property rather than be bitter.
(KPI - June 7, 2016)
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