Anthony Clendenin, 53, and son Samuel Coffee Clendenin, 26, were found guilty of animal cruelty for killing a 2-year-old German shepherd, Kuma, in the backyard of their home on Massasso Court the evening of Jan. 16, 2015.
Kimberly Saesee, the dog’s owner, said the verdict was “a big relief.”
“We walked inside and we were just ecstatic,” Saesee said.
Both defendants face up to four years in state prison. Their sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 1.
“I’d just like to thank the family for their strength,” Deputy Distict Attorney Tom Min said. “Let’s try to heal now.” Min praised the investigation conducted by Officer Joseph Opinski and the Merced Police Department.
Surveillance camera footage of the incident showed the dog running to a corner of the fence and then the Clendenins following behind, armed with a wooden stake and baseball bat. Prosecutors said the end of the video shows the younger Clendenin standing on top of the dog while his father repeatedly clubs the dog in the head with the stake.
Defense attorneys said they were disappointed with the verdict and believed the jurors made an “emotional” ruling rather than a ruling based on law.
Defense attorney Bill Davis, who represented the elder Clendenin, said his client was defending his family.
“Certainly (emotions) played a role, I think,” Davis told the Sun-Star. “The emotional response to the video and to someone’s pet being killed made it difficult to get across the powerlessness of a homeowner confronted in his own backyard by a large and potentially dangerous animal.”
The Clendenins, from the beginning, have CLAIMED they were defending themselves. They say the dog got into their backyard and bit the younger Clendenin’s shoe and they killed the dog to protect their family. They have said the dog’s owners should have done more to keep the dog off their property.
Prosecutors have said there was no evidence Samuel Clendenin was bitten by the dog.
Todd McLean, the deputy public defender representing Samuel Clendenin, said the defendants plan to appeal the verdict.
“They did what they thought they had to do to protect their family,” McLean said in a telephone interview. “No one wishes any harm to pets or wants to them to pass away. But it seems that we as humans seem to treat pets better than we do people.”
McLean also said the video was powerfully persuasive for jurors, but that it didn’t tell the whole story. “We only got to see the last half of the incident, we didn’t get to see the whole incident, we didn’t get to see the dog coming into the backyard,” he noted.
Min, however, argued against self-defense claims, noting the animal was seen running away before it was cornered and killed.
“Kuma was in full retreat mode,” Min said.
During his closing arguments Thursday, he showed the jury a picture of Kuma lying on the ground in a pool of blood and said beating a dog to death was not reasonable force.
Min said both men could have gone inside, called the police, opened the gate to let Kuma out or told the owner. Instead, Min said, the Clendenins spent two minutes discussing what they were going to do and then killed the animal.
Saesee, 22, thanked the community for their support during the trial. She said the supporters who came to the trial ended up being like family to her.
Saesee said she misses watching Kuma play and that he was like a family member.
“Now is our time where we can relax,” she said, “and be a little more at peace.”
Deanna Clendenin thinks God is on their side (she's wrong)
Deanna Clendenin looking for justice.
August 3 ·
Well Day6, and here we go again, but this time the lynch mob is here, everybody that was in the restraining orders hearing is here to see or testify against us, even the chief D.A. is here looky loo, Please Lord give my husband & son the strength today to stand up and look evil in the eyes, and be able to listen to all the lies & accusations that the evildoers have created against this family of ours over the last 3 years. Your ears are in there with us Lord, and we know your justice will prevail,..God Will Prevail Over EVIL!!!
Mary Rogers: Are we walking into the enemy's camp laying our weapons down shedding our armor as we go leaving them on the ground. We'd gotta be strong in the power of His Might, prove to the enemy, WE ARE THE ARMY OF THE LORD AND WE'VE WON THE VICTORY!
Mary Rogers: Father, Abba! Keep your hand on this family. Help the judge and jury to see the lies. Give these men courage, make them fearless, help them to be silent when needed, but help them to speak when needed. Steady them. In Jesus Name amen.
Earlier:
