A brief rundown of recent events including the “Cat Killer’ in the Jacksonville, Florida neighborhood of Springfield, 35 year old Blake Miles, and his subsequent arrest thanks to the efforts of concerned neighbors and Law enforcement. Also discussion of the link between animal cruelty and violent crime.
*Miles has a criminal arrest history dating back to 2006 with a number of charges ranging from aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, domestic violence and resisting arrest just to name a few. As far as Miles’ current charges, he has a combined bond totaling just over $80,000.
Correlation between animal cruelty and violent crime:
“More and more, the public is becoming aware of the fact that criminals convicted of child and domestic abuse often abuse animals as well, even using the abuse and killing of animals to further their control over human victims. This same pattern is echoed in serial killers, perpetrators of school shootings and mass murderers. Infamous serial killers including Ted Bundy, David Berkowitz, also known as the “Son of Sam” killer, cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer, and Albert “the Boston Strangler” DeSalvo, all engaged in animal cruelty earlier in their lives.” 06 January 2016 – Posted by Sarah Lucas. https://www.idausa.org/animal-abuse-s…
Interpersonal Violence Implications
“Many people frequently assume individuals begin hurting animals and then progress to humans. While this may be true in some instances, it is not the case for all offenders. One study found that 16% of offenders started abusing animals and graduated to violent crimes against humans. However, in many circumstances, offenders start by hurting other humans and then progress to harming animals.
Companion animals can be a source of comfort to victims of domestic abuse. Unfortunately, the abuser often exploits this bond to manipulate, control, and punish victims. To create fear and control, the abuser may threaten, hurt, or kill the animal. Cruelty to the animal may be used to convince the victim to return to a violent relationship, keep the victim isolated, financially control the victim, or coerce the victim into staying. Further, the offender may physically harm the animal to psychologically punish the victim or to remind the victim that the abuser can assert physical force to maintain dominance and control. Often, the abused partner will choose to stay in the violent situation out of concern for the pet’s safety.
Seventy-five percent of abused women who have companion animals report a history of their companion animal being threatened or intentionally harmed by their intimate partner, with children being present and witnessing the violence over 90% of the time.” LEB.fbi.gov
“Domestic violence offenses not only occur in an intimate partner setting but often occur simultaneously or are precursors to other types of violent offenses. Animal cruelty is a predictor of current and future violence, including crimes of assault, rape, murder, arson, domestic violence, and sexual abuse of children.”
McDonalds Triad:
The triad was first proposed by psychiatrist J. M. Macdonald in “The Threat to Kill”, a 1963 article in the American Journal of Psychiatry. The triad links cruelty to animals, obsession with fire-setting, and persistent bedwetting past the age of five, to violent behaviors, particularly homicidal behavior and sexually predatory behavior.
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