For Mercy's Sake
Cruelty Awareness Program
For Mercy's Sake
TIMELINE OF EVENTS AND HISTORY OF MERCY'S ABUSE
UPDATE - WEDNESDAY, APR 18, 2007 - MERCY TRIAL DELAYED UNTIL AUGUST 8.
Mercy was found huddled in the bushes behind a North Dallas apartment complex on April 14, 2006. The two men who discovered the bleeding and suffering dog took her to Operation Kindness. The 10-month-old pit bull puppy was immediately taken to a veterinarian for treatment but died 10 days later. The veterinarians who tried to save her life said the young dog had been doused with gasoline and set on fire. DeShann Brown, who lived at the complex at Preston and Beltline, was arrested and charged with animal cruelty and use of a deadly weapon, a third-degree felony that could get him 10 years in prison if convicted. Although the judge who signed the arrest warrant set bail at $50,000, the jail magistrate reduced it to $2,500. Brown was released on a $250 cash bond and remains out on bail. Mercy’s case attracted attention across the United States and in many foreign countries. More than 18,000 people signed an online petition started by a woman in Florida urging the strongest punishment possible for her abuser. English singer-songwriter Maria Daines wrote and recorded a song for Mercy that has been posted on numerous internet websites and blogs. Operation Kindness held a memorial service for Mercy that was attended by an estimated 1,500 mourners who had been touched by Mercy’s story and her plight. “We’re very disappointed by this delay,” said Operation Kindness executive director Jonnie England, who has been called as a witness in the case. “It’s been exactly one year since Mercy was tortured and died, and we were so anxious for this trial to get underway on Monday. Now we’ll have to wait even longer before we will, hopefully, see justice served.” England said she has been contacted by hundreds of people, some from as far away as Houston, who were planning to attend the trial and be on hand to show their support for Mercy. Brown is scheduled to make an appearance in open court at a pretrial hearing on June 8. His case is being tried in Criminal District Court No. 6 before Judge Jeanine Howard in the Frank Crowley Courts Building, 133 N. Industrial Blvd. in Dallas. The prosecutor in the case (no. F-0686776) is Assistant District Attorney David Alex. Brown’s attorney is Dan Wyde. UPDATE - MONDAY, APR 2, 2007 - SWEET CHARITY TRIAL DROPPED.
Because the crime happened two years ago this month, some witnesses have moved and can’t be located, while others have changed their testimony. “There was never much physical evidence to prove who actually owned Sweet Charity, who neglected and then abandoned her, or who chained her in the back of a vacant duplex and left her to die,” said Jonnie. “All of us wanted someone to be punished for this crime, but justice isn’t served if the wrong person is convicted.” “What happened to Sweet Charity was a travesty and a shame,” said Assistant District Attorney Brandon Birmingham, one of those present at the meeting. “Her legacy will be that we will learn from her case and do everything that we can to ensure that this never happens again.” In addition to Mr. Birmingham, the meeting was attended by Assistant DAs David Pitcher and Paige Duncan, the DA’s Chief Investigator Anthony Robinson, and Trista Allen, Information Officer for the Criminal District Attorney’s Office. Willie McDaniel, the new Manager of Dallas Animal Services, was also at the meeting. “It was a great opportunity to meet face to face and talk about ways we can work together to investigate and successfully prosecute people who abuse and neglect animals,’ Jonnie said. Jonnie said the meeting was also an opportunity to discuss the upcoming trial in Mercy’s case, which is still set for Monday, April 23—the one-year anniversary of her death. “Despite the sadness I feel that we won’t find justice for Charity, I was greatly encouraged by the commitment of all involved to prosecute Mercy’s case to the fullest.” UPDATE - FRIDAY, MAR 23, 2007 - SWEET CHARITY TRIAL HAS BEEN POSTPONED. The Dallas County District Attorney has taken the trial for Sweet Charity off the Court’s docket for Tuesday, March 27th . THE CASE WILL NOT GO TO TRIAL NEXT TUESDAY. The prosecutors have asked to meet with OK's Executive Director, Jonnie England, next week to discuss the case in detail and review the evidence. We will provide updates as soon as possible after that meeting as to the next steps in the case. Please check OK's website for the latest updates. Thank you for caring about Sweet Charity and for your continued efforts to stop animal abuse.As a reminder: The felony animal cruelty case for Mercy is still set for April 23rd. We’ll have more information about that case in the coming weeks. UPDATE - MONDAY, FEB 12, 2007 - TRIAL DATE CHANGED IN SWEET CHARITY'S CASE. IT WILL BE A JURY TRIAL. Sweet Charity's day in court has been changed to Tuesday, March 27. It will not be this Friday, February 16. In addition, we have been notified that it will be a jury trial and not a bench trial before the judge only. UPDATE - THURS, JAN 25, 2007 - TRIAL DATE SET IN SWEET CHARITY'S CASE The date has been set for Friday, February 16 - that’s when Sweet Charity will finally get her day in court. The case has been set for a bench trial, or trial before the judge only. It will take place in Court No. 2 in the Frank Crowley Courts Building on Industrial Blvd. Like almost everyone else in the court system, the judge is new; his name is Lennox Bower. The Chief of Court, or Chief Prosecutor, in Court No. 2 is also new (they change every few months), and his name is David Pitcher—although he is not necessarily the ADA who will prosecute. OK's Executive Director, Jonnie England, will testify in this case. She told the attorney that there were a lot of people very interested in her case and that we expected many would be there. We plan to notify the media and hope that anyone who can attend will be in the courtroom that day—a show of support for this precious puppy would help bring her justice. We don’t know the time yet but will keep you posted via the website. UPDATE - THURS, NOV 2 -
TRIAL DATE SET IN MERCY'S CASE
The Dallas County District Attorney's office has set a trial date of April 23, 2007, in the felony case against DeShawn Brown, who is charged with torturing, setting fire to and then abandoning Mercy. Ironically, Brown's trial will begin on the one-year anniversary of Mercy's death.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney David Alex in Criminal District Court No. 6, with Judge Dan Clancy presiding. Brown is charged with Cruelty to Animals with the finding of a deadly weapon, a 3rd-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
On October 31, Operation Kindness Executive Director Jonnie England met with ADA David Alex and ADA Kandace Walter and presented them with 18,000 signatures collected on an online petition asking for the maximum punishment for Brown. The petition was started in April by Anita Solomon of Florida. Jonnie also presented the prosecutors with "For Mercy's Sake" T-shirts, bumper stickers and wristbands.
 ADA Kandace Walter, OK's Executive Director, Jonnie England and ADA David Alex UPDATE - MON, SEPT 25 Deshann Brown had a second "appearance" before the DA's prosecutor last week, and his third appearance is set for late October. During an appearance, the defendant doesn't actually appear, but his attorney meets with the prosecutor to discuss the case.
They expect that a trial date will be set at that time, and that the trial will probably take place in March or April 2007. We'll post the trial date just as soon as we know it.
After a 3-month-investigation by the DA's office, on August 3, the Dallas County Grand Jury indicted Deshann Quatrail Brown on 3rd-degree felony charges for killing Mercy!
The 3rd-degree felony indictment is for Cruelty to Animals With the Finding of a Deadly Weapon, an enhanced crime that carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence (minimum 2 years). Brown was originally charged with a State Jail Felony, which carries a maximum of 2 years in prison, so the DA's investigators were able to add an additional charge to the case.
As you know, Deshann Brown was arrested and charged with Mercy's death on April 27, just 4 days after Mercy died. His bond had been set at $50,000 by the judge who signed the arrest warrant, but a jail magistrate, on her own, reduced it to $2,500, and Brown was out on $250 bail within hours. Since then, investigators in the Dallas County District Attorney's office have been gathering evidence, looking for more witnesses and re-interviewing the original witnesses. Mercy's friends in the media have covered this terrible story from the beginning and immediately started getting the word out about the indictment. Check out some of the recent coverage on NBC5 story , KRLD-AM radio, and, as always, Larry Powell's website. (see August 3rd column)
No court date has been set yet, and it will probably be several more months before Brown comes to trial. The case has been assigned to Judge Dan Clancy in Criminal District Court No. 6. If you are interested in writing to Judge Clancy to let him know how Mercy's torture and death have affected you, you may do so at this address:
The Honorable Dan Clancy
Criminal District Court No. 6
Frank Crowley Courts Building
133 N. Industrial Blvd. Dallas, Texas 75207-4399 To send a letter of appreciation to the District Attorney's office for their efforts so far, you may write to
Mr. Bill Hill
Dallas County District Attorney
Frank Crowley Courts Building
133 N. Industrial Blvd. Dallas, Texas 75207-4399 Please remember to be respectful in your comments to Judge Clancy and Mr. Hill.
To help spread the message of stopping animal abuse, we now have t-shirts, wristbands and bumper stickers available. The white t-shirts feature Mercy's sweet face and the words "For Mercy's Sake" on the front, and "Stop Animal Abuse" on the back. The wristbands are a soft yellow with paw print cutouts and the words, "For Mercy's Sake." The bumper stickers also feature Mercy's photo and the message, "For Mercy's Sake...Stop Animal Abuse. Call 911 to report abuse." The T-shirts are just $8 or $10, the wristbands are $2, and the bumper stickers are 3 pack for $1. You can see pictures of the items and order online through our eStore or at Operation Kindness shelter. All proceeds from Mercy items will go to our Cruelty Awareness Program which helps bring awareness and educate our community on animal cruelty issues.
This Grand Jury indictment is a wonderful and gratifying "next step" in the process of finding justice for our sweet Mercy. We will keep you posted on our website with any new developments, but there probably won't be anything more happening for a while. The wheels of justice move slowly, but we're certain justice will prevail. In the meantime, please remember to do what you can to stop animal abuse...for Mercy's Sake.
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The song "Rainbow Bridge, A Song dedicated to Mercy" sung by Mary Daines from Cambridgeshire, England has been released. Words from Maria: "May her spirit be forever in peace - and may her being bring justice to all animals who are tortured, suffer and die at the hands of humans." UPDATE - MON, MAY 15 Operation Kindness met with the Dallas County District Attorney's investigator who has been assigned to DeShann Brown's case. DeShann Brown is the suspect in the case. We have turned over all tips, leads, photos, veterinary records and other information we have to the investigator, who will follow up and work to enhance the case to make it the strongest possible. We've been assured by the DA's Office that Mercy's case is a top priority and that they will prosecute it to the fullest extent possible. No trial date has been set, but a prosecutor and court (Criminal District Court No. 6) have been assigned. Following the DA's investigation, DeShann Brown will go before the Grand Jury for indictment.
More than 14,000 signatures were collected on the online petition started by Anita Solomon of Florida. These are being printed out and will be sent to Operation Kindness for delivery to the DA's Office. Thank you to all of you who signed the petition. Anita has started a new petition to toughen the laws in Texas on animal cruelty. Please come visit our For Mercy's Sake tribute at Dog Day Afternoon 2006 on June 10th - Get event details and location...
Side note: The Magistrate who reduced DeShann Brown's bond from the $50,000 stated in the arrest warrant to a mere $2,500--enabling him to post just $250 and get out of the jail the same day he was arrested--is not an employee of the DA's Office but works in the County Jail building. Complaints about her actions should not be directed to the DA's office.
Thank you again for caring so much about Mercy, for not forgetting her, and for your efforts to find Justice for Mercy. UPDATE - SAT, APRIL 29 Thank you to everyone who joined us today for Mercy's memorial service. The outpouring of love Read Jonnie England's speech from Memorial... Read Martha Powell's speech from Memorial...
Special Thanks to everyone who helped with the memorial service: We are all grieving over the loss of this beautiful and gentle creature.
Special thanks to the following individuals for their outstanding efforts on this case: Officer Vincent Medley, Dallas Animal Services Read some of the media coverage below. Thank you to our friends in the media who have helped us bring awareness and justice for Mercy.
NBC 5 WFAA - Ch 8 KTVT - Ch 11 FOX 4 Russ Martin Larry Powell Humane Society of US KRLD Carrollton Leader petabuse.com KHOU - Houston MSNBC animalconcerns.org Dallas Blog UPDATE - MON, APRIL 24 - 2:00 PM Operation Kindness has planned a public memorial service for Mercy on Saturday, April 29 at 10 am at Operation Kindness shelter. We had originally
planned a small service for staff and volunteers but due to so many requests from supporters for a chance to say goodbye, we wanted to make it open
to anyone who was touched by her. Many of you have asked how you can contribute to the reward fund - we want to let you know that we have the reward fund covered. UPDATE - SUN, APRIL 23 - 10:30 PM Mercy, the 10-month-old puppy who was doused with gasoline and set on fire, has died. Her little heart just gave out. She was a gentle soul who showed remarkable strength and courage - she inspired us all! Mercy died Sunday evening, April 23rd at about 9:30 p.m. at the veterinary clinic where she was being treated. Doctors said Mercy showed some
improvement Saturday, but her condition started to deteriorate Sunday afternoon. She was given a plasma transfusion, but shortly afterward her
heart--weakened by burns over 60% over her body--stopped beating. The young pit-bull mix was rescued Friday, April 14, by a Dallas man who
saw her in the wooded area behind apartments in Far North Dallas. He took the dog to Operation Kindness, where she was given immediate
veterinary care. Mercy was transferred to the Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center last Monday. She had surgery the following day to remove most
of her burned ears and begin the painful debridement treatment. Doctors cautioned that, because of the severity and extent of her injuries--which
also included stab wounds and cuts--her prognosis was guarded.
"All of us at Operation Kindness, as well as thousands of people who have been moved by her plight, are grieving for Mercy," said Jonnie England, executive director at Operation Kindness. "We were so hopeful that this beautiful, gentle dog, who had suffered and endured unbearable pain, would pull through in the end. It's more important than ever that the person who brutalized her be caught and brought to justice--for Mercy's sake." She will be privately cremated and her ashes will be spread in Operation Kindness' Memorial Garden so she will rest in peace forever. The reward now stands at $11,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for torturing and, ultimately, killing Mercy. The case is being investigated by Dallas Animal Services' Cruelty Division and the Dallas Police Department. Anyone with information should call 3-1-1 or Dallas Animal Services at 214-671-0246. |
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The trial of DeShann Brown, who is charged with third-degree felony in the animal cruelty case involving the burned dog Mercy, has been postponed until August 6. The trial was scheduled to start Monday, April 23, the one-year anniversary of Mercy’s death. 
The animal cruelty case involving Sweet Charity has been dropped by the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office for insufficient evidence. Prosecutors in the case met with Operation Kindness Executive Director Jonnie England last week to present and review the evidence before a final decision was announced. “While we’re very disappointed that no one will be held accountable for causing Sweet Charity’s terrible suffering and death, I reluctantly agree with the decision,” said Jonnie.
Listen to the song...
