Feb 7, 2011: Animal hoarder sentenced to probation, counseling
Virginia Gambriel, the 63-year-old old woman who was convicted in January of 75 counts of animal abuse, was sentenced in Greene County court this morning.
Gambriel, who has a previous animal abuse conviction after 370 animals were removed from her Pleasant Hope home in August 2008, was given a one-year suspended jail sentence for the latest seizure in March.
Having the sentence suspended means she does not have to serve the time, unless she violates her probation. She was sentenced to two years of supervised probation.
Greene County authorities in the 2010 incident were serving a search warrant on what they thought was an abandoned home neighbors had reported was filled with animals when they found Gambriel and 75 animals—including 40 dogs, 13 cats, 10 rabbits, two doves, two turtles and a chinchilla.
Special conditions of Gambriel’s probation were that she can not be in control of any animals, she has to submit to random inspections, she has to get counseling for animal hoarding at her own expense and she has to pay $500 in restitution to the Humane Society of Missouri..." More
May 17, 2010: Woman suspected of hoarding animals in Polk County Jail for probation violation
The woman suspected of hoarding at least 75 animals in her Greene County home is behind bars after that incident lead to her probation in another case being revoked.
As a condition of a previous conviction, Virginia Gambriel was not allowed to own more than one dog, one cat or one bird.
According to online court documents, Gambriel admitted to violating her probation in that case.A judge revoked that probation. Now Gambriel will serve the 90 days of her original suspended sentence in Polk County jail for her previous conviction in another animal hoarding case.
She faced two separate court cases in that incident — one for animal abuse, which she pleaded guilty to in April, and another for child abuse.
Gambriel was found guilty by a jury back in November for the child abuse charge after another raid—this one on her farm in Pleasant Hope—where authorities found her grandchildren covered in insect bites and what appeared to be scabies and ringworm, according to court documents..." More
KATHRYN WALL
Search warrant documents obtained by the News-Leader list Virginia Gambriel -- charged in the August 2008 seizure of 370 malnourished animals from her Pleasant Hope farm -- as owner of the 75 animals taken this week.
Forty dogs, 13 cats, 10 rabbits, two doves, two turtles and a chinchilla were taken Monday from a house at 10081 N. Farm Road 165 -- less than 10 miles from the Pleasant Hope farm.
Three dead chinchillas were taken from the refrigerator Monday. A dead cat was also removed from a cage.
Records maintained by the Greene County Assessor's Office list the house as owned by Brady Gambriel of Bolivar.
According to the search warrant, a neighbor saw a man identified as Brady Gambriel and several women dropping animals off at the residence. The neighbor thought the house was abandoned and it has since been condemned..." More
A woman arrested during an animal seizure north of Springfield on Monday is in jail — but not in Greene County.
Polk County authorities arrested Virginia Gambriel, 63, on a warrant for probation violation this morning and were holding her without bond in the Polk County Jail.
Gambriel was on probation with a suspended jail sentence related to an October conviction on two counts of misdemeanor child endangerment.
The charges stemmed from an August 2008 raid on Gambriel’s farm near Pleasant Hope, where authorities seized about 370 malnourished animals and removed several of her grandchildren — described in court documents as covered in insect bites and what appeared to be scabies and ringworm.
Gambriel is due to stand trial May 5 on a dozen additional charges of animal abuse or neglect related to the 2008 raid.
Her probation in the child endangerment case included a provision barring her from keeping more than one dog, one cat and one bird.
Greene County Sheriff’s deputies serving a search warrant at what was thought to be an abandoned home at 10081 N. Farm Road 165 on Monday found Gambriel with a total of 75 living animals: 40 dogs, 13 cats, 10 rabbits, two doves, two turtles and a chinchilla.
Three dead chinchillas were found in a refrigerator and a dead cat removed, as well..." More
"We found horrible living conditions. This is clearly a case of hoarding. This individual is living in horrid conditions," explains Jeff McRoy, an animal cruelty investigator with the Missouri Humane Society.
Neighbors, who alerted authorities, say a couple would come to the house and drop off bins of food and water, even animals. But then they would leave...." More & video
They seized about 75 dogs, cats, rabbits and hamsters from the home.
One cat was found dead in a cage inside; a dozen dogs may have to be euthanized; and there was no food or water for the animals inside.
"We entered today we found horrible living conditions. This is clearly a case of hoarding. This individual is living in horrid conditions. There's feces all over the floor and urine soaked into the carpet, the whole place has got a lot of trash," said Jeff McRoy, of the Humane Society.
The woman has not been formally charged.
Greene county sheriff's captain Randy Gibson says they're investigating whether this case is related to a a seizure of dozens of animals in Pleasant Hope in Polk county in 2008..." More
This week, the Polk County prosecuting attorney charged Julie Guthrie, 37, her husband, Kevin Guthrie, 32, and Janet Hall, 35, all of Pleasant Hope, with two counts each of endangering the welfare of a child. Last week, immediately after the second raid, Virginia Gambriel, the children's grandmother, also was charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Those charges were also based on the raid on July 24.
To read the charges and probable cause statements against the Guthries and Hall, click here.
The raids were at the homes of Gambriel and the Guthries. Gambriel is the mother of Julie Guthrie and Janet Hall..." More & videos
