Animals, Criminal law, Torts

Tom The Turkey: Vittles or Victim?

Brian and Christa Caponi of Gulf Breeze Florida loved to watch their pet “Tom the Turkey.” It appears that their neighbor, Jacob Hayden Provo, 18, saw something more tangible: a Thanksgiving dinner.

Joshua Warren Anderson, 19, and Provo (shown below) used a bow and arrow to kill Tom. While the Caponi’s have 50 dogs, cats, chickens, and other animals, “Tom the Turkey” was like a dog to their family. They have been charged with armed burglary, armed trespassing, theft of livestock and animal cruelty.

The crime was captured on the surveillance system of the Caponi family. When police pulled over Provo, he allegedly lied and said he killed the bird in a nearby city. He later confessed.

As we have discussed, these cases are difficult in torts because such pets are valued at their replacement costs rather than their sentimental value. In the eyes of the law, Tom is simply an Eastern wild turkey worth $300. To capture the pain and suffering in such acts, plaintiffs will often proceed on negligent or intentional infliction of emotional distress claims.


Source: NBC

10 thoughts on “Tom The Turkey: Vittles or Victim?”

  1. This is terrible – they should be punished to the highest extent of the law for the emotional trauma and damages the family had to endure, as well as for killing the turkey itself

  2. Four Roses, Makers Mark, Old Forrester, are my main rotation. Wild Turkey will work its way into the rotation once in awhile along w/ a few others. Four Roses is my ace, however.

  3. OS I used to like JD until a friend in Louisville introduced me to Makers Mark. Either is better than WT though.

    I got our turkey roasting & then did a quick google – found out that a domesticated turkey weights 50% more than a wild one but its brain is only 33% the size of the wild bird. This makes them nearly completely blind.

  4. I never cared for Wild Turkey. I prefer to have my old friend Jack Daniels over for a quiet evening.

  6. AY, that rumor only pertains to the domesticated birds. Those poor things have been so hybridized that they can barely stand up due to the over enlarged breast.

    This is the noble wild turkey. Brave and resolute as well as smart. AS Franklin noted the eagle is a scavenger making its living off of carrion. I saw 4 vry large bald eagles sharing a road kill deer just last weekend.

    I’d suggest everyone enjoy a little wild turkey this holiday but I’m more of a Makers Mark guy myself

  7. Heck if they wanted to have it for dinner….. Allstate they hd to do was shower it….. The durn fool would have drowned drinking the water…..

    Then again….. Where would we be if Franklin had got his way….. The National Bird……

  8. raff,

    If stupidity is outlawed, only outlaws will be stupid if you follow the gun lobby logic. If only that were so it might be worth a shot. 😉

    On the plus side, if they didn’t make bail, they’ll get green bologna sandwiches tomorrow.

    Happy. Thanksgiving.

  9. It seems the criminal side is the only way to sanction this type of behavior with any form of strong punishment. Perhaps the pet owners can ask the court to impose restitution and save the civil end of pursuing damages.

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