Parole Denied for Convicted Animal Abuser
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF)
February 2011

Russell Swigart’s parole was denied!

Thank you to everyone who signed the petition and wrote letters to the Kentucky Parole Board encouraging that convicted animal abuser Russell Swigart’s parole be denied. More than 15,000 signatures were collected on the Change.org petition since our alert was sent last week – sending a clear message to lawmakers that animal abuse is a crime that should be taken seriously.

(Kenton County, KY) Convicted animal abuser Russell Swigart is up for parole and a victim hearing has been set for February 14, 2011. Charged under Kentucky's “Romeo’s Law” after breaking into a former co-worker’s home and brutally stabbing two of her cats to death, Swigart was sentenced to a 12 year prison term in December 2009.

From NKY Cincinnati, January 25, 2011:

…Former Kenton County Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Justin Sanders has written a letter to Kentucky's parole board urging its members to order Swigart to serve out his entire sentence…

…Swigart has a history of injuring or killing women's pets since the late 1990s, according to court records. Swigart "has left a trail of emotionally devastated and frightened women in his wake," Sanders wrote…

…"Bridgett Wright is likely alive today only because she took a last minute, out-of-town business trip," Sanders wrote. "The evidence in this case showed that Mr. Swigart did not know that Ms. Wilson was out of town until he broke into her condo, armed with a deadly weapon - the large hunting knife."…

From change.org, January 2011:

…My name is Bridgett Wright and I am the victim in this case. Swigart broke into my Lakeside Park condo, after sending me threatening texts that he "wanted me dead." He was armed with an 11 inch Buck Knife. I was out of town on a last minute business trip. When he saw I was not home, he took out his rage on two of the most important things in my life--Mr. Frank and Piggy. These were cats I adopted at birth & loved for nearly 8 years. Swigart then texted me saying, "You should get home and clean up the mess. Piggy & Frank have seen better days. I just stabbed your cats to death. Piggy put up a good fight, but Frank went out like a b****." …

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