On October 18, 2011, Terry opened the cages of around 50 of his animals, and then shot himself in the head. Zanesville Animal Massacre Tony Dejak / Associated Press But the final blow was finding out that his wife, Marian, had left him. He was devastated to find the poor condition of the zoo when he returned, and was also heavily in debt. Only three weeks after getting out, he released the animals, and shot himself. In 2010, he was sentenced to a year in prison on federal weapon charges. The last few years of Terry’s life were when things started going downhill for him. Soon, their collection grew into a private mini zoo as the couple took care of rescued animals, and also bought some themselves. In 1997, Terry and Marian attended an exotic animal auction, from which Terry gifted an ailing baby lion to Marian as a birthday gift. Those around him believed that he was changed man after he returned from war, that he never fully recovered from its trauma.Īfter returning from war, Terry opened a motorcycle shop which he ran till the ’90s, and then sold licensed firearms for some years. It was also in Zanesville where he met his wife, Marian Sharp (Thompson), for the first time. Matthew Lutz, the Muskingum County Sheriff described him as “a like-to-live-on-the-edge type of person”. Thompson was a collector of exotic animals, who grew up in Zanesville, and was well-known around the area for the wild things he did. It is believed Thompson released nearly all of his 56 animals, following a mental breakdown which led him to take his own life. The 73 acre farmland with the private zoo was owned by Terry Thompson. Zanesville Animal Escape took place in October 2011, in Zanesville, Ohio, when over 50 exotic animals were released from Muskingum County Animal Farm. What Led to the Zanesville Animal Escape? This makes it all the more relevant to remember the tragic event that took place in Zanesville almost a decade ago. But it doesn’t seem to be the case as 5,000 to 10,000 tigers live in captivity in the country, while less than 4,000 remain in the wild.
The catastrophic incident that took place in Ohio should have served as a cautionary tale for others in America.
This reality is revealed to us through Zanesville Animal Escape that briefly makes its presence felt during the first half of the series.īut the horrific tragedy of Zanesville’s animal massacre is enough to haunt the viewers as they see what follows. Cages only lead to more cages, unless a far worse reality awaits them. Perez more than one time, don’t report this, and if you do, no one will believe you,” the judge said before sentencing him to 25 years in prison.Īs part of the sentence, he will also have to register as a sex offender.As ‘Tiger King’ reaches its gnawing conclusion, it makes us aware that not a single animal benefitted from all the greed, rivalries and betrayals that unravel in the series. “These women were vulnerable and they were told by Mr. While Matsumoto declined to sentence the former officer to the maximum - he’d faced up to life behind bars - she noted she was deeply troubled by his conduct. “I ask for mercy, not just for me but for my family,” Perez said through tears. Perez cried Wednesday as he begged the court for leniency and maintained his innocence. Jurors, who were forced to look at photos of his penis, later convicted Perez on 23-counts, including aggravated sexual abuse and sexual abuse of a ward. Another described Perez’s penis as having a “really strong smell” that made her want to throw up.
It was big, and it was like a hook…It was humongous and it curved,” one of his victims testified during his two-week trial. The 49-year-old was busted after the women all gave corroborating statements regarding Perez’s distinctive genitals - which he nicknamed “horse” - and federal agents procured a warrant that forced him to drop his pants.
Guard with huge, stinky penis found guilty of abusing inmatesįour separate women testified they were forced to perform oral sex on Perez in 2016 while they were in custody at Brooklyn’s notorious Metropolitan Detention Center.