Daniel A. Carey, left, and Nathan P. Weber, right, appear in mug shots. (McHenry County Sheriff’s Office)
A shocking incident of animal cruelty has ended with two Illinois men being sentenced to short stints in the local county jail.
In June 2022, a helpless raccoon was attacked by two men who filmed the violence and then shared the animal snuff video on social media – even directly sending the horrific footage to some people.
Daniel A. Carey, 19, was arrested in July 2022 on two counts of animal torture and one count of disorderly conduct, according to McHenry County Circuit Court records reviewed by Law&Crime. His accomplice, Nathan P. Weber, 19, was arrested on one count each of animal torture, depiction of animal cruelty, and disorderly conduct.
Content warning: a graphic description of animal cruelty follows.
The incident occurred in Huntley, a medium-sized suburban village that straddles McHenry and Kane counties and is part of the broader Chicago metropolitan area.
In the footage, Carey torture the raccoon by stabbing it with a sword, ultimately impaling the poor creature, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the Lake & McHenry County Scanner.
Before dying impaled by what authorities termed “a cutlass-style sword or large knife,” the two men took turns torturing the raccoon.
In the video, Weber pins the animal down with a garden rake, causing it to suffer for a prolonged amount of time, the complaint reportedly says. Then, Carey inflicts “extreme physical pain” on the highly intelligent social mammal – whose names in various languages derive from its familiar hand motions – by hitting its head with a hammer.
Carey repeatedly strikes the raccoon in the head with the hammer – causing it to “suffer in agony,” the complaint reportedly says.
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The suspects were arrested roughly a month after the slaying was shared on social media, court records show. They were each released after posting 10% of their $20,000 bonds.
Both men initially pleaded not guilty and requested jury trials – they faced five years in prison if convicted on their original charges.
In a plea deal, Carey ultimately had his two felony counts reduced to one Class A misdemeanor charge of cruelty to animals; Weber had his one felony count pleaded down to one Class A misdemeanor charge of depiction of animal cruelty, court records show.
The sentences were accepted by Judge Tiffany Davis.
“Nathan did a lot of soul searching, especially with the help of his parents,” Weber’s attorney Brian Stevens told the Shaw Local News Network. “The judge also noted this, [Davis] said it was important he took responsibility for his actions and he understood what he did was wrong.”
In April, Weber was sentenced to 10 days in county jail, 240 hours of community service, and two years of probation. On Aug. 31, Carey was sentenced to spend 60 days in county jail and 18 months on probation. He also must complete 240 hours of community service.
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According to the County Scanner, both men must perform community service at an animal shelter or somewhere similar.