Advocates Demand 'Justice' A Year After Lacey Raccoon Slaying

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Lacey Raccoon Task Force and animal rights advocates organized a vigil Friday outside of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. The event took place on the one year anniversary of Lacey police declaring they would investigate a video of a teen beating a trapped raccoon to death with a baseball bat while another teen filmed it. The video was posted to social media.

The animal-abuse awareness group, formed after the incident, has since criticized the OCPO's handling of the controversial case. A petition was created and has garnered nearly 9,000 signatures demanding "justice" for the slaying.

Members of the Lacey Raccoon Task Force also expressed their concern on the teens' mental health.

According to the OCPO, they have declined to comment on the case due to the age of the teens.

"We're here to remind people that this has gone on and we cannot allow this to go on," said Barry Bendar, a Lacey resident and task force member. "People need to be held evenly to the law whether they kill an animal or a person."

According to Susan Russell of the Animal Protection League of New Jersey, the group is calling for the overhaul of state law concerning trapping animals. Colorado, California, Washington state and Massachusetts have banned every trap but a box trap, according to Russell.

A New Jersey bill introduced in January 2018 would make it illegal to trap in the state with traditional methods. Another bill proposed in March would make it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 from receiving a trapping license. Neither bill has made it out of its committees for a vote.

"I can't believe a whole year has gone by and we've heard nothing," said Jennifer Smith, of Tinton Falls. "I understand you can't release information on the juveniles, but we want to know why nothing was done by the prosecutor. If you're killing and filming it and passing it around over social media, there is something wrong."

According to Patricia Doyle, a member of the Lacey Raccoon Task Force, letters were written to Ocean County Prosecutor Bill Billhimer about the case. When the group did not receive a response, they wrote letters to Attorney General Gurbir Grewal.

"We just want to know what steps the prosecutor took to handle the case," Doyle said. "Why keep the public in the dark by not releasing information on the investigation?"

Doyle said the group does not want the teens' identities to remain protected.

"A lot of people tend to think this will all go away and we're not going away," said Susan Kearney, of Toms River. "A year later and we are here."

Kearney represented the NJ Animal Save Movement, an animal rights group part of the international Save Movement.

Toms River resident Mike DiBrienza made a donation to the Lacey Raccoon Task Force.

"If it wasn't for these people voicing their concerns, we would have no idea of animal suffering," DiBrienza said.

According to Bendar, he and Lacey resident Alison Lemke showed the video to members of the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife and in their minutes, admitted the raccoon was treated inhumanely.

"If their next victim is a child, it will be too late," said Patricia McDevitt, a task force member from Middletown.

Here's more Patch coverage on the Lacey raccoon slaying:

• Lacey Raccoon Slaying Investigation Raises Concerns From Experts (April 19)
• The Lacey Raccoon Slaying And The Politics Of Trapping (July 23)
• NJ Senator Requests AG Address Lacey Raccoon Slaying (Oct. 28)

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