GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN: A Michigan man was apprehended over the weekend for brutally ripping off his girlfriend's pet duck's head with his bare hands just to “send a message” after a heated altercation. The animal's severed body was thrown into a five-gallon bucket by Michael Lee Humphries and then forcefully held his partner's face up to the unsightly remains.
“Michael Lee Humphries ripped the head off of a companion domesticated animal for one purpose and one purpose alone — psychological domination and intimidation of a domestic violence victim. That’s the only reason,” Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson said in a video posted to the GCSO Facebook page, WNEM reports.
Who is Michael Lee Humphries?
Michael Lee Humphries, 49, was taken into custody on Sunday morning, August 6, and slapped with one count of first-degree felony related to the maiming/torturing/killing an animal, one count of felony resisting/obstructing an officer, and one count of domestic violence.
Besides, he is also facing a habitual offender status due to a previous conviction in St. Clair County for aggravated stalking in 2019. Authorities reported that the domestic violence victim at the time was a different woman the accused's present girlfriend.
What led to the brutal act?
In March 2023, Humphries bought two baby ducklings for his girlfriend which she later kept as her pets. The duo were dating for more than 18 months at the time when this brutal act with the duck took place.
As per Swanson, on the evening of Saturday, the couple attended a Stevie Nicks concert where they got into an argument. They fought the entire night upon returning home and continued with it till the following day. The sheriff added that at some point on Sunday morning, Humphries made up his mind to go after one of the pet ducks as a way to “send a message” to his girlfriend.
What did the sheriff say?
“There’s this explosion of violence. The violence takes over,” Swanson said. “As he’s going back and forth in this argument, he goes to the barn, grabs one of the ducks, and rips the head off in front of the victim and says, ‘Look at this.’ That’s the psychological domination I’m talking about,” Swanson said.
“He did this with his hands. Then he took the duck’s body and put it into a 5-gallon bucket. As he dumps the body into a bucket, he goes over to the domestic violence victim, his girlfriend, grabs her by the face — leaving marks on her face — and points her face at the bucket and says ‘I want you to see this.’ That’s domestic violence at an epic level", he added.
Humphries allegedly fought the authorities
When the officers arrived on the scene, Humphries allegedly “fought them at the door” and he “resisted on the scene," Swanson said. It is a felony to intentionally torture or kill a domesticated animal under Michigan state law. The accused is now facing a maximum penalty of up to 10 years behind bars.
“There’s that direct connect, that I’ve said many times before, between animal abuse, neglect, torture, and maiming and violence against vulnerable adults, vulnerable child, the elderly, the addicted,” Swanson said. However, he was taken into custody and released after posting a $5,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court again for his probable cause conference on August 17.