Feb 9, 2010: Animal Cruelty Suspect Waives Jury Trial
By: CHRIS MOUZAKITIS
The couple charged in the animal hoarding case that resulted in the July removal of 12 dead dogs and cats from an Abingdon home was in Knox County Circuit Court Monday morning.
Rebecca Johnson-Geier, 28, and her husband, Michael Geier, both of 606 W. Monmouth St, appeared before Judge James Stewart for pretrial conferences. Each faces misdemeanor charges, all related to their alleged mistreatment of animals and their home’s filthy condition.
Through public defender James Harrell, Johnson-Geier waived her right to a jury trial and will have a bench trial at 2 p.m. Feb. 19.
She faces charges of cruelty to animals, two counts on endangering the health of a child, all Class A misdemeanors, as well as violation of animal owner’s care duties, a Class B misdemeanor.
Also in court Monday, Geier, represented by public defender Tom Pepmeyer, will have one more pretrial conference later this month. Facing similar charges, he could go trial in early March.
Separate ordinance violation cases related to their home’s condition against the couple were settled or dismissed in late 2009.
Charges of failure to maintain property, failure to dispose of dead animals and offensive condition of home related to confined animals resulted in Johnson-Geier paying $215 in fines and court fees. A similar case against Geier was dismissed per a plea last year..." More
July 12, 2009: Animals in Danger
Hoarding not unusual in world of purported animal lovers
By CHRIS Z. MOUZAKITIS
Rebecca Johnson-Geier and Michael Geier, both 28, reportedly considered themselves animal lovers. But charges of animal cruelty and child endangerment against the Abingdon couple indicate Knox County may be getting its first taste of a different kind of crime against animals.
Last month, as neighbors cleaned up after an early morning thunderstorm, Jennifer Schisler, who lives across the street from the couple, saw Johnson-Geier out in her yard playing with two puppies. Schisler approached her to pet the puppies.
Of the incident, merely strange at the time, but shocking in retrospect, Schisler said: “I asked her where she got the animals, and she (Johnson-Geier) said, ‘I’m rescuing them.’”
If Johnson-Geier or Geier ever did in fact rescue any animals, it appears to have been in spite of the many other animals that suffered at the couple’s hands. Over the last week, police, firefighters and animal control officials have removed more than 15 dead and dying animals from the family’s home at 606 W. Monmouth St.
Outside the Knox County Courthouse on Thursday, Johnson-Geier herself declined comment on her home’s condition and the dead animals.
Whatever happened in Abingdon, an individual believing she was doing good for animals in spite of obvious harm, as preliminary reports hint may have been the case there, is not so unusual as one would hope in the world of animal lovers, according to local and national animal welfare experts..." More
July 14, 2009: Salvaging a situation
