BELFAST, Maine — Jurors in a Waldo County Superior Court aggravated animal cruelty trial watched a home movie Monday morning that depicted a tethered bobcat getting killed by a pack of four howling, barking blue tick coonhounds as several men appeared to egg them on.
The video was entered as part of the evidence against Randall Carl of Knox, who is on trial for the incident that happened in February 2009 off a Unity road.
Waldo County Assistant District Attorney Eric Walker said in his opening arguments that Carl, who at least at the time worked as a guard at Maine State Prison in Warren, acted in a cruel manner when he used the bobcat as an object to train the dogs. Carl allegedly tethered the bobcat, which had been trapped and caged by others, to a pole with a rope wrapped around its neck. He let the bobcat out of the cage, Walker said, and the unleashed hunting dogs attacked it.
“This case is not about tracking, hunting or training dogs,” Walker said. “It’s about crossing the line into animal cruelty.”
But defense attorney Walter McKee of Augusta disagreed.
“This was an unfortunate incident. It was not planned,” McKee told the jurors and Waldo County Superior Court Justice Robert Murray. “In Maine, people are allowed to kill animals. When you see the video of the bobcat getting killed, that’s just the way it goes sometimes. … Are we applying the law of man to the law of the wild? There was no crossing over the line. Randy is simply not guilty.”
The first witnesses called to the stand Monday included Vernon Travis Smith of Burnham, who filmed the incident with knowledge of the other men involved, and Warden Mark Merrifield, who helped investigate the matter beginning in 2011.
Carl also has been charged with a closed season hunting or trapping violation.
Testimony was to continue Monday afternoon.
Any person capable of this kind of cruelty to animals, is
capable of hurting fellow human beings.
If he was a prison guard as the article states, he more than likely did harm other people, namely, prisoners and enjoyed every minute of it!!!
Wasn’t planned, but it got video-taped?????????????????? Sick-o.
Argh, what is wrong with people? I don’t think he’d appreciate it if he was tethered to a pole and feasted upon by four hunting dogs. Geez…
Just plain sick and cruel behavior. The defense attorney’s attempt to relate this to hunting is deplorable.
Hey Attorney McKee, if you were locked in a room with four hungry bobcats would you still exclaim “that’s the way it goes sometimes” ?
I suspect you’d have a different view.
There are two reasons to kill an animal; Food and the safety of another person. This guy needs some serious time on a nice comfy couche with a qualified proffessional.
I cannot imagine having to sit there as a juror and watch that film.
I will never understand how some people find gratification in watching a living creature suffer. Human or otherwise. I’m glad I’ll never understand it.
Unfortuantely I happen to be one of those human being who could get gratification watching a scumbag like this guy suffer beyond imagination because they do crap like this and they deserve no sympathy or empathy whatsover!!
The defendant must be a delightful fun guy!!!!! I’ll bet the inmates at Warren loved him. Hope he’s found guilty.
On my original post – nevermind. Agreed, simply delightful. As someone else said, karma ….
Because there are people who get their jollies at the expense of other living creatures, this case is exactly why we need to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law. Why should a person have the right to desecrate a beautiful wild animal, not only causing that animal to be mutilated, but also causing unnecessary suffering? Shame on Mr. Carl’s attorney, Walter McKee, for trivializing this incident. If you feel no line was crossed, would you endorse the resulting video of the event to be used as an educational clip for schools or for your child’s viewing? Come on, get real!! As for Mr. Carl, you should not be allowed to hunt, trap, fish, or pursue game in the future, and you should have to forfeit your hounds who were exposed also to cruel and unethical conditions.
Similar to a coyote story – I realize that people feel they are a burden and you can kill them legally, but people will shoot to maim, then beat it, club it, kick it, ring its neck, run it over a few times, and then come out of the woods with a bloodied pelt of fur ( I think it’s fur) and tell the game wardens and gate attendants it’s a coyote (they think it is) – you can’t even tell what it is. You want to hunt something, kill it and do it humanely– things like this should be prosecuted. It’s disgusting – makes me to puke.
What a creep, and he’ll be in there fighting for his rights.
He is or was trying to be a Maine Guide, if you kill a bobcat with a pack of dogs, I would think we could pull his guide permit……right? Ya, I would want a great guy like this helping me in the woods, God forbid you got hurt, he would leave you! Coward!
Common ordinary cruelty that I have seen hunters and trappers do many, many times over the years. I was formerly one of those “cruel creeps” but finally smartened up after seeing the cruelty of snaring coyotes and catching bear in an Aldrich cable trap. I have written and published a very lengthy story titled “The Truth About Trapping.” Just remember that some hunters and most trappers are bigger liars than fishermen.
One hunter or trapper on the jury and this guy will go free.
Not all hunters are un-ethical and would find this man guilty in a heartbeat if the evidence proves that he is guilty.
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They also posted pictures of the dead animal on the tailgate of the truck and another with Mr Carl holding the dead cat up by it’s hind legs. Cruel and disgusting and I’m glad he was found guilty!
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Agreed!
This guy isn’t fit to wear a Maine Master Guide patch, he is a pathetic excuse for a man let alone a guide.
Where did they find that defense attorney?
“McKee told the jurors and Waldo County Superior Court Justice Robert Murray. “In Maine, people are allowed to kill animals. When you see the video of the bobcat getting killed, that’s just the way it goes sometimes. …”
??? That’s just the way it goes? Is he suggesting the whole thing was an accident? That the bobcat tied itself up? That the dogs just happened by? Crazy.
this man obviously does a great inustice to his positions of Master Maine Guide and Corrections Officer. If he is not appropriately found guilty of these horrendous charges – who knows – he may be ‘pulling an Abugrave (spelling?) at the State Prison in Warren’!
I wonder if Randall Carl is hoping for mercy…
“In Maine people are allowed to kill animals”. The “law of the wild” doesn’t recognize killing an animal that’s tied up!
What unbelievably ridiculous statements!
If anybody in Maine condones the act the lawyer is defending, then I mourn for our State.
Good citizen73, if you know that’s happening, provide details to the local warden. It may be legal to kill coyotes, but not as you described. If no one reports those incidents, they cannot be prosecuted.