Ohio officials have decided they will hand over five animals to the widow of a man who last october paralyzed a community by releasing 56 lions, tigers. Muskingum county animal farm was a private zoo located in zanesville, ohio, united states. The story of lions, tigers, and bears being released at a southeastern ohio home in october of 2011 made worldwide headlines. Ohio animal massacre a devastating waste of life earthbeat. The muskingum county animal farm had been repeatedly reported for inadequate and unsafe housing for the animals, as well as insufficient water and food. There were boxes of books and manuals and harleydavidson posters. I am so thankful to have read this book to finally get to know terry better, to know john. Zanesville exoticanimal owner terry thompson lived and. Ohioans became aware of the dangers and challenges associated with exotic pets on 10112011, when terry thompson released 56 of his exotic animals before tragically committing suicide. We were in his office in downtown zanesville, ohio. Michael suttles passed away on may 25, 2017 in zanesville, ohio.
They have also lived in warren, oh and ashtabula, oh. Horror, resignation at killing of ohio animals national. Oct 19, 2011 cops in zanesville, ohio, were forced to shoot down as many as 56 ferocious animals including 18 rare bengal tigers and 17 lions who were set free by the owner of an animal preserve before. Friend of exoticanimal owner writes book about killings usa today. Oct 11, 2012 environment, environment and energy, zanesville, jack hanna, john moore, marian, steven blake, terry thompson, ohio, ohio university support independent journalism unlimited access for less than. That was terry thompson s final grotesque parting gifta last meal for one of his animals, sometime before it, too, met its death by bullet on the sad night of october 18, 2011, near zanesville. Ap phototony dejak first published on october 19, 2011. It was dark and wet and dangerous in zanesville, ohio. Zanesville exoticanimal owner terry thompson lived and died. Terry was born on april 24, 1950 in zanesville the son of. Zanesville zoo animal escape animals, by chris jones esquire. The muskingum county sheriff said a coroner has ruled that terry thompson died of a selfinflicted gunshot wound and then was bitten by one of the animals he freed shortly before dying. See more ideas about zanesville ohio, ohio and the buckeye state.
Friend of exoticanimal owner writes book about killings. Thousands attend auction of property owned by zanesville. If that werent already obvious, it became more so on tuesday, when collector terry thompson opened the cages on his zanesville farm, springing dozens of lions, tigers, bears and other wild creatures before killing himself. Did terry thompson bait himself before committing suicide. The state of ohio is working on tougher laws when it comes to owning exotic animals. Terry thompson s wife is in the process of trying to get them back. Thompson, the man authorities say released wild animals from his preserve in zanesville, ohio, had a checkered history with animals and with the law. His familyterry and his sisters, polly and sherryhad horses, as did dick lear and his sister, beryl, who lived just down the road. The fourteenyearold narrator takes readers along on a comingofage journey in 1970s zanesville, ohio. Terry thompson, the ohio man who authorities say set his exotic animals free just before killing himself, once supplied a lion cub for a photo shoot with supermodel heidi klum. The 62yearold owner of an exotic animal farm freed his 56 wild animals on tuesday including lions, bengal tigers, wolves and.
Aug 14, 20 zanesville, ohio gear heads, bikers, horsetraders and curiosityseekers arrived in muskingum county in droves yesterday for the auction of property formerly owned by the man who released dozens. Ohio estate auctioned off two years after massive exotic. Thompson said he was about his animals, the menagerie of dozens of bears, lions, tigers and other exotics he kept in pens on his 73acre property west of zanesville. The muskingum county sheriffs office had to shoot and kill 49 of those animals in order to protect the public18 tigers, 17 lions, 8 bears, 3 cougars, 2 wolves, 1. The zookeeper terry thompson, 62, born and raised in zanesville, ohio. March 6, 1938 may 16, 2019 81 years old crooksville, oh services by rossfrash funeral home crooksville. Thompson said he was about his animals, the menagerie of dozens of bears, lions, tigers and other exotics he. Ohio exotic animal owner speaks out 1st time since ordeal kathy thompson, zanesville, ohio times recorder 56 exotic animals were released in zanesville last year. Zanesville ohio, the lion sleeps tonight joeexotictv. Terry thompson, the man who released 56 animals from captivity before taking his own life, was already well known to national animal welfare advocates, not just because of the unusual number and variety of animals he collected, but because of the multiple complaints of animal mistreatment he incurred, including a 2005 conviction of animal cruelty.
Walls of books in zanesville walls of books 1212 brandywine. Mar 01, 2012 t erry thompson loved animals from the time he was a kid growing up on his family farm on boggs road, east of zanesville. Like joe exotic, thompson had an affinity for fast cars, guns and collecting wild exotic animals. View eight female lions were among the animals that had to be dispatched in zanesville, ohio, on oct. Investigators walk around a barn as carcasses lay on the ground at the muskingum county animal farm, oct. Exotic animal farm owner had history of trouble cbs news. The zanesville zoo massacre, one year later, by charles siebert.
Two leopards, two celebes macaque monkeys, and a bear will return to the farm where, only six months ago, terry thompson released fifty other exotic animals, killed himself, and forced muskingum county sheriffs deputies into a situation where they had to kill every loose animal they could find. Sheriffs deputies shot 48 animals, including 18 rare bengal tigers and 17 lions, after terry thompson, owner of the private muskingum county animal farm near zanesville, threw their cages open. Select this result to view terry d thompson s phone number, address, and more. Oct 24, 2011 a heartbreaking waste of life at both the human and animal levels took place in zanesville, ohio, last week. Locally owned used bookstore with over 40,000 books available. Zanesville, ohio six years after exotic animal collector terry thompson, of zanesville, ohio, released 56 lions, tigers, leopards, pumas, wolves, bears and monkeys before committing suicide on october 18, 2011, ohio no longer has a reputation as a state with lax animal laws, recently wrote. In october of 2011, terry thompson opened the cages of dozens of wild animals on his farm in ohio lions, bears, leopards, tigers, monkeys and wolves. Hodges david terry thompson, 60, resident of hwy 185, passed away at his home on sunday, november 11, 2018. Owner of escaped animals in zanesville had troubled past news. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. That was terry thompsons final grotesque parting gifta last meal for one of his animals, sometime before it, too, met its death by bullet on the sad night of october 18, 2011, near zanesville.
Feb 05, 2012 sheriff matt lutz couldnt remember whether there was a mailbox at the end of terry thompson s driveway. Terry thompson zanesville massacre ohio 911 animal abuse. We sent chris heath to zanesville, ohio, to find out where the wild things. Terry thompson and the zanesville ohio zoo massacre.
Terry thompson, exotic animal owner responsible for the 2011 zanesville, ohio animal escape. An in depth look into what really happened the day all the animals where killed in ohio, did terry thompson really do this or was he. A heartbreaking waste of life at both the human and animal levels took place in zanesville, ohio, last week. Oct 18, 2012 ohio exotic animal owner speaks out 1st time since ordeal kathy thompson, zanesville, ohio times recorder 56 exotic animals were released in zanesville last year. Exotic animal owner terry thompson had a history of neglecting his animals, says an animal welfare official. Oct 20, 2011 exotic animal owner terry thompson had a history of neglecting his animals, says an animal welfare official. Lowe, 60 of philo, passed away saturday, april 9, 2011 at 1. Cops in zanesville, ohio, were forced to shoot down as many as 56 ferocious animals including 18 rare bengal tigers and 17 lions who were set. Murder, mayhem and madness hit the airwaves, ohio had its own tiger king, the late terry thompson. This story, originally published a few days later, explored what happened that day. The eccentric owner, terry thompson, had taken his own life, having first smeared his body with chicken blood and released some of the animals from their cages. Terry thompson zanesville ohio there were thousands of stories published in the wake of the zanesville massacre, but so far this has been the most revealing.
Visit the poynter institute 801 third street south st. The eccentric owner, terry thompson, had taken his own life, having first smeared his body with chicken blood and released some of. The most exciting thing to happen to zanesville, ohio, like, ever has ended in the tragic massacre of dozens of exotic predators, all of whom escaped into heavy rains last night from a local. Oct 22, 2011 the muskingum county sheriff said a coroner has ruled that terry thompson died of a selfinflicted gunshot wound and then was bitten by one of the animals he freed shortly before dying. Thompson, an exotic animal owner, unlocked the cage doors. Zanesville massacre 18 tigers 17 lions 3 cougars gunned down. Zanesville exoticanimal owner terry thompson lived and died on. Feb 06, 2012 it was dark and wet and dangerous in zanesville, ohio. Terry thompson in ohio oh 128 records found whitepages. After serving a year on weapons charges, thompson was released from a federal prison in morgantown, w. Robert thompson, md genesis healthcare systemzanesville, ohio. Zanesville animal massacre included 18 rare bengal tigers.
A dead lion is seen near a fence on terry thompson s property near zanesville, ohio. Many exotic pet owners, like terry thompson in zanesville, ohio, are hobbyists, which means they dont often have the experience needed to tend to the needs of the animals. This video takes you through what happened before, during and after the tragic animal mystery in zanesville, ohio. Oct 19, 2019 terry thompson is charged in the killing of 24yearold john hernandez, who died when thompson put him in a chokehold after finding him urinating outside a dennys restaurant in crosby in 2017. Oct 20, 2011 many exotic pet owners, like terry thompson in zanesville, ohio, are hobbyists, which means they dont often have the experience needed to tend to the needs of the animals.
The second best result is terry d thompson age 60s in akron, oh in the middlebury neighborhood. Oct 22, 2011 terry thompson died under the most dramatic of circumstances. Most of the 56 animals set free tuesday in zaneville, ohio, were killed by law. Thompson began raising exotic animals in 1977 when he bought a baby lion cub, simba, as a birthday present for his wife, he told a zanesville. Days, they have a regular babysitting job with a family full of horrors. Sheriff matt lutz couldnt remember whether there was a mailbox at the end of terry thompson s driveway. Terry thompson had let his scores of big animals out of their hard, grim cages, then shot himself in. Ap photoheather ellers and dustin burton heather ellers and dustin burton. Several residents admitted that they know little about thompson, other than that he was convicted of gun charges in recent years and was convicted of.
Find walls of books in zanesville with address, phone number from yahoo us local. Terry thompson in ohio phone book listings bizapedia. Apr 30, 2012 ohio state officials will return five animals to marian thompson, pictured, six months after her husband terry turned 56 creatures loose in the city of zanesville before killing himself. When, in october 2011, 56 wild animals escaped from a private zoo in zanesville leaving their owner, terry thompson, dead in their wake the story, which made national headlines, had the. Zanesville, ohio gear heads, bikers, horsetraders and curiosityseekers arrived in muskingum county in droves yesterday for the auction of property formerly owned by the man who released dozens. I also had heard collaborating accounts of terry thompsons death, so the fact the. Exotic animal owner in zaneville, ohio, accused of neglect. The cities are akron oh, albany oh, ashtabula oh, bolivar oh, bryan oh, canal wnchstr oh, circleville oh, cleveland oh, columbus oh, conesville oh, conneaut oh, crooksville oh, dayton oh, delaware oh, englewood oh, findlay oh, flushing oh, fostoria oh, galena oh, galloway.
Ohio zoo returns surviving exotic animals to suicidal. How 2011 zanesville massacre moved ohio to act on exotic. Terry thompson died under the most dramatic of circumstances. The crazy true story of the zanesville zoo escape gq. Terry thompson had let his scores of big animals out of their hard, grim cages, then shot himself in the head. On october 18, 2011, dozens of exotic animals were released from their enclosures. Zanesville, ohio gear heads, bikers, horsetraders and. Shanachie books is the place in zanesville to fill your reading addiction. Conspiracy theories persist five years after zanesville man terry thompson released his animals and committed suicide. Zanesville zoo animal escape animals, by chris jones. Thompson s first trial in june ended in a mistrial. Born october 2, 1958, in greenwood, he was a son of the late jack. Jan 23, 20 friend of exoticanimal owner writes book about killings. A dead lion lays by the fence on terry thompson s farm near zanesville ohio tuesday oct.
Mayor of zanesville, ohio, howard zwelling, has received a lot of grief for the killing of 48 exotic animals, after a total of 56 were released from an animal preserve. Terry is related to christopher c thompson and calvin c thompson as well as 2 additional people. As a kid, he rode his bike under the shadows of i70 to the zanesville. Owner of escaped animals in zanesville had troubled past. Buckeye tigers, a midnight massacre, and missed opportunities. What do you think really happened on that horrific day. Ohio exotic animal owner speaks out 1st time since ordeal. What happened when terry thompson released his wild animals. Owner of exotic animal preserve known for guns, runins. We were in his office in downtown zanesville, ohio, looking at a satellite picture of the farm. Owner terry thompson allegedly set free 50 of his 56 exotic animals before shooting himself in the head. There are 68 phone book listings for people that are named terry thompson in ohio.
The stretch of gravel and grass running out from the garage looks more like a tunnel beneath the roman colosseum than a small ohio farm. With animals running loose and darkness closing in, authorities arrived with no good choices to protect the public. The surviving animals are being returned to his widow at their farmstead zanersville, ohio. Thousands attend auction of property owned by zanesville exotic. Lions, tigers, bears, and wolves were among the animals that escaped and were hunted by local law enforcement out of fear for public safety. The eccentric owner, terry thompson, had taken his own life, having first smeared his body with chicken blood and released some of the. Thompson is the widow of terry thompson, who released 56 animals including black bears, mountain lions and bengal tigers from his eastern ohio farm oct. It was a story everyone heard and no one understood. Zanesville, ohio residents in this small, struggling town knew a few things about terry thompson for sure. Sheriffs deputies shot on sight more than 30 animals that were set free from thompson s preserve. Ive had a lot of people calling and complaining, and some really nasty emails, the mayor said, according to. Ohio state officials will return five animals to marian thompson, pictured, six months after her husband terry turned 56 creatures loose in the city of zanesville before killing himself. Five surviving exotic animals to be given to ohio mans. May 04, 2012 the zanesville animals are heading home.