Kinship Circle | Letter Campaigns

10/7/08: Demand Retrial For Vicious Cat Killer

SOURCE OF INFORMATION / BACKGROUND

UPDATE - 12/18/09: Norman's Killer Gets Slap-On-The-Wrist Penalties
SOURCE: Actor Who Killed Girlfriend's Cat Accepts Misdemeanor Plea Deal

12/18/09, SUMMARY: Manhattan Supreme Court — Joseph Petcka, a "Sex and the City" actor and former minor league ballplayer who killed his girlfriend's cat Norman "in self defense," walked away with a misdemeanor rap. With over 500 hours of community service, the 6-foot-two, 205-pound Petcka was allowed to plead guilty to attempted animal cruelty, a misdemeanor. He was originally tried on felony animal cruelty charges. "You love that cat more than me!" Petcka screamed at then girlfriend Lisa Altobelli on 3/27/07 before kicking her cat to death at her West Village apartment...

ХааProsecutors consider retrial in cat-killing case
ХааCeleb. Boyfriend Kills Girlfriends Cat in Jealous Rage
ХааPUNISH CAT KILLER
ХааProsecutors barred from mentioning cat killer's fight with ex
ХааTopics: Joseph Petcka Cat Killer, Related Stories
ХааTopics: Lisa Altobelli (Norman's Person), Related Stories
ХааPetcka trial ends in a hung jury

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Norman, an 8-pound declawed tabby, and his killer, Joseph Petcka.

CONTACT INFORMATION + SAMPLE LETTER

CONTACT INFORMATION Х Print/Send This Letter

Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Leila Kermani
Office of the Manhattan District Attorney
One Hogan Place
New York, NY 10013
Phone: 212-335-9000 (Ext 3574 for Ms. Kermani's office)
SOURCE: http://manhattanda.org/contact.shtml

COPY:
Hon. Daniel P. Fitzgerald
New York County Supreme Court
111 Centre Street, Room 763, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10007
ph: 646-386-4052; fax: 212-401-9265

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Assistant District Attorney Leila Kermani and Hon. Daniel P. Fitzgerald:

Please retry Joseph Petcka, the one-time minor league pitcher and aspiring actor who brutally killed his girlfriend's cat Norman on March 27, 2007. Even though Manhattan jurors deadlocked 11-1 at Petcka's recent aggravated animal cruelty trial, the public demands justice for this senseless act of violence.

As you know, jealous rage drove Petcka to fatally batter and kick former girlfriend Lisa Altobelli's 8-pound orange and white tabby. Claiming "You love Norman more than me!" Petcka was later overheard wooing the cat with "Norman, Norman, Norman." Altobelli was asleep when Petcka reportedly grasped her neck, kneed her side, and said Norman had bitten him.

Altobelli told a Manhattan Supreme Court jury she fled, believing that Norman was directly behind her. Instead, she later discovered her cat's mutilated body beneath a bedside table. According to an ASPCA investigator, Norman suffered smashed ribs and teeth. His internal injuries were so severe, he died as his lungs filled with blood.

If this case results in a retrial for Petcka, please seek maximum penalties allowed by law, including incarceration and fines. Petcka ought to undergo psychological evaluation and intensive anger management counseling. He should be barred from contact with animals.

Petcka had vented rage on Norman in the past. Altobelli told jurors she'd found her frightened cat drenched in water. "He was hissing [at Petcka]," Altobelli testified. "Obviously, that was a huge red flag." But the flag wasn't red enough to convince all jurors. Similar "blind rage" once stirred Petcka to slam a door on another ex-girlfriend, severing her fingertip (although this incident was banned from the trial).

Violence against animals is a well-documented precursor to violence against humans. Randall Lockwood, Ph.D., a frequent consultant to cruelty investigators, law enforcers, and mental health professionals, assesses an offender's style of animal abuse. Lockwood describes violence against non-threatening creatures unlikely to retaliate as a precursor to assaulting children, the elderly or disabled.

In fact, animal cruelty investigations often uncover domestic violence or other signs of a troubled family, P. Arkow notes in Breaking the cycles of violence: A guide to multi-disciplinary interventions.

Violence rarely occurs in a vacuum. Please do not let Joseph Petcka harm another living being. Thank you for your pursuit of justice in this disturbing case.

Sincerely,

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Animal abuse cases are TIME-SENSITIVE — depending upon the nature of a crime as well as court arraignment, hearing, and sentencing date. To check the status of a case before writing, search the Animal Abuse Crime Database for updates. Many animal cruelty cases (but not all) are on file here: http://www.pet-abuse.com/database/