Sign the Petition
Target: William Fitzpatrick, District Attorney of Onondaga County, NY
Goal: Prosecute suspects charged with killing protected swan and illegally removing her cygnets to fullest extent.
A nesting mother swan met with a horrific fate in New York. Three teenagers stand accused of breaking onto the grounds of Manlius Swan Pond in the dead of night and beheading the swan, whom local residents had named Faye. To make matters even worse, they then allegedly abducted Faye’s four young cygnets while leaving behind Faye’s mate, named Manny.
Investigators believe the suspects took Faye’s body to a relative’s house and cooked and ate her. They reportedly confessed to authorities, claiming they were hunting, that they believed Faye to be a duck, and that they planned to keep the cygnets as pets. Why they were apparently “hunting” after midnight and in an area beloved by the community and protected by the town’s government remains a mystery. The cygnets, thankfully, are now under the care of a biologist.
The suspects were charged with grand larceny and criminal mischief, but they also need to face charges for the illegal act of allegedly killing a swan and any associated animal cruelty offenses. Sign the petition below to demand justice in this disturbing case.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear DA Fitzpatrick,
The shocking killing of a swan and abduction of her young offspring, for which three suspects stand accused, has put Manlius in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. This swan, Faye, was an adored fixture in the community and protected by local mandate at her Manlius Swan Pond residence. The suspects’ claims that they were somehow unaware of this popular animal’s existence or the town’s longstanding association with swans appears highly doubtful. Also troubling is the defense that these young people allegedly decided to go duck hunting well after midnight and needed to jump the fence on a public property to do so.
If these suspects indeed had full knowledge of the criminality of their alleged acts, then the charges should not end at larceny and “mischief.” Killing a swan—and a locally protected one at that—is illegal in this state, and prosecution and possible sentencing must reflect the viciousness (including reported decapitation) of the apparent offenses. Charges of animal cruelty can and should be pursued because this swan, the mate and cygnets she left behind, and the community that loved her deserve justice.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Trudie Roden
