The Devil Made Him Shred Dog With Chainsaw

shea_c(at)jud.state.ma.us, sullivan_c(at)jud.state.ma.us

ATTN: The Honorable Patricia T. Poehler, Presiding Justice
Assistant District Attorney Mary D. Partyka
Palmer District Court, 235 Sykes Street, Suite 3
Palmer, MA 01069-1190
Judge's Lobby Contact: Christine Shea
ph: 413-283-8916 ext. 116

Carol Sullivan, Criminal Case Liaison, Palmer District Court
ph: 413-283-8916

Dear Court Officials,

I respectfully ask those involved in the litigation of Randall R. Mason, of
Monson, to view animal mutilation and torture as grave crimes warranting
your utmost deliberation. I and many others around the world are shocked to
learn Mason assaulted a German shepherd mix "Duke" with a chainsaw,
inflicting deep gashes on her front paws, head and hindquarters.

Claiming he beheld "the devil in the dog's eyes," Mason charged the
non-aggressive animal who, (in Mason's own words) "freaked out" at the sight of the chainsaw. By the time Mason had finished, 6-year-old Duke's head spurted blood. Her right foot hung in shreds and her left foot was nearly severed off. The dog's guardian had Duke euthanized at Boston Road Animal Hospital in Springfield.

I thank authorities for Mason's arrest on animal cruelty charges and
subsequent arraignment on January 4, during which Judge Poehler ordered him
held on $10,000 bail. While Mason pleads "self defense," Assistant District
Attorney Mary D. Partyka says he exhibits no wounds to suggest a dog bite or attack provoked his senseless act of violence.

I urge officials to levy the maximum penalty of five years in state prison
or 2-1/2 years in the house of correction, along with a $2,500 fine for
felony animal cruelty. Please ensure Mason undergoes psychological
counseling and is barred from possessing or living alongside animals in any
context.

Mason, whose record features the 2002 theft of a firearm, is a violent
offender. Criminologists view the intensity of vicious behavior --
regardless of the victim's identity -- as a precursor to future violence. In fact, the FBI red flags animal abuse when profiling potentially homicidal suspects. "People begin to fantasize about these violent actions... The next phase is usually acting out against animals," says Alan Brantley of the FBI's Investigative Support Unit.

Prolific murderers such as the Boston Strangler, Son of Sam, Jeffrey Dahmer
and Ted Bundy practiced on animals before graduating to humans. Dennis
Rader, notorious for the Bind-Torture-Kill murders in Wichita, Kansas,
confessed to strangling cats and dogs prior to his sadistic spree.

Men prosecuted for animal cruelty are five times as likely to be arrested
for other violent crimes, according to Utah State University professor Frank Ascione's extensive research.

Randall R. Mason poses a risk to other animals and humans. Thank you for
recognizing the gravity of this crime and punishing Mason to the fullest
degree.

Sincerely,