On the early morning of Wednesday, May 10, 2023, the Evansville Fire Department responded to a home in the 200 block of East Iowa Street, just a few blocks away from North Main Street.
WFIE reports that 42-years-old AMANDA KAY DECKARD (pictured), had called 911 to report that she started the fire.
Upon arrival, firefighters found DECKARD on the porch with cuts to her arms.
Sadly, inside the home, firefighters found three pet lizards who had been beaten to death.
A firefighter sustained minor injuries “when a wooden board fell on him while he fought the fire” and two “neighboring homes were also damaged by the flames”, reports WFIE.
DECKARD is facing three felony counts of torturing or mutilating a vertebrate animal and arson. She is being held on a $10,000 bond.
Authorities did not disclose the furbabies’ names, so I took the liberty of naming them Fleur, Leaf, and Lotus for the tribute image. Should their given names be made public, I will rectify them accordingly.
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DECKARD’s mugshot shared from the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office.
On the early afternoon of Friday, July 29, deputies with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a property on 8114 Old State Road in Evansville.
Upon arrival they learned that Animal Control was already on the scene and requested the assistance of deputies to check the welfare of several dogs inside the residence.
An Animal Control Officer knocked on the door but no one answered. Officers reported smelling a strong foul odor coming from the residence.
Officials saw a deceased dog through a window and heard other dogs barking inside the home.
Deputies were able to make contact with the homeowner, 64-years-old CYNTHIA MARIE COMBS (pictured), at another address. COMBS agreed to go with deputies to the home on 8114 Old State Road.
According to a press release by the sheriff’s office, COMBS allowed animal control and deputies into the residence to check the welfare of the animals.
Inside the home officers discovered 4 dogs but sadly, 2 of them were found dead inside kennels.
When COMBS was questioned about the dogs, she said she was “the sole caretaker of the animals” and added that it had been two weeks since she was last at the residence.
COMBS told officers “she was aware that dogs were at the residence and that she failed to care for them.”
Deputies placed COMBS under arrest and booked her at the Vanderburgh County Jail.
She was released after posting a $400 bond.
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Another animal abuser gets away with animal cruelty.
As many of you remember, SHAYNA FAYE BURKO (pictured) was arrested in July 2022, after officers with the Vanderburgh County Sherriff’s Office and Vanderburgh County Animal Control found dead dogs and live dogs, in horrific condition, at a home in Evansville.
She was released after posting a meager $500 bond!
This past May this evil female pleaded guilty to seven felony-level counts of cruelty to an animal.
On June 29, 2023, BURKO was generously sentenced to PROBATION, courtesy of Vanderburgh Circuit Court RYAN CHARLES REED!
Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Diana Moers said in a news release that atsentencing the Prosecution alerted the court that BURKO “is in violation of the conditions of her bail, which included a prohibition from animal possession, by giving evidence that she is currently living with animals.”
The release goes on to say that BURKO’s grandmother testified at sentencing that BURKO has a puppy who is a “service dog.”
Whether you believe it or not, a part of the court’s sentencing order is that BURKO “is permitted to live with animals as long as they do not belong to her and that she is permitted keep her purported service dog.”
Prosecutor Moers stated: “The Defendant’s horrific actions are absolutely shocking to the conscience. What is more, this is not her first time and the evidence today from both the prosecution and the defense was that she still has access to animals despite the court previously ordering her not to. I am happy to report that we requested the maximum executed sentence today of four years, noting prior criminal history of the same nature, violation of conditions of bail and the egregiousness of the crime itself. The court found none of those statutorily aggravating circumstances applied and sentenced the Defendant to two years of probation.”
The Vanderburgh County Prosecutor's Office announced that on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 17, 2023, in Vanderburgh County Circuit Court SHAYNA FAYE BURKO (pictured), pleaded guilty to “seven felony-level counts of cruelty to an animal before Magistrate Judge Ryan C. Reed.”
In July 2022, BURKO was arrested after deceased and extremely malnourished dogs were found inside her property. She was released after posting a ridiculous $500 bond!
Prosecutor Diana Moers stated: “Those who abuse or neglect some of the most innocent in our society—animals—will be investigated and face harsh legal consequences. Here, these innocent and completely helpless dogs were counting on the Defendant to take care of them but she left them to suffer and die while she carried on with her own life. I am thankful for the citizen heroes who called the police in this case as well as animal control and the deputies who were able to remove the remaining living dogs from this house of horrors and bring them to safety. It is my prayer that these dogs find loving homes and healing.”
Well, BURKO has a date with Judge Ryan C. Reed in Vanderburgh Circuit Court on June 29, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. for sentencing. Let’s see how “harsh” her legal consequences will be!
Let me remind you that BURKO has a prior conviction in Warrick County for Cruelty to an Animal.
The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of 27-years-old SHAYNA FAYE BURKO (pictured).
In a press release the sheriff’s office said that on the morning of Saturday, July 9, 2022, deputies along with Vanderburgh County Animal Control were dispatched to a home on 3122 Mooring Road to conduct a welfare check on the animals who were living at the property.
The sheriff’s office said the animals “had been left unattended for a prolonged period of time.”
From outside, deputies could smell a foul odor of something rotting inside the home and when they peered through a window, “they could visibly see excess amounts of feces, urine, and trash on the floor of the home” stated the release.
Officials also saw several dogs who were inside who appeared “malnourished, in distress, and lethargic.”
A search warrant was obtained and executed at the residence and Animal Control removed five dogs who were found to be living covered with fleas and feces.
Officers found "a deceased German Shepard inside a closed kennel and a detached head of a dog both found in the living room. In the hallway, officers found a detached dog limb. There were five living dogs inside the residence, and one of them was missing a paw different from the limb found in the hallway."
From witnesses on the scene, officials learned that BURKO “had not been to the house for several weeks.”
Deputies were able to locate BURKO with the assistance of the Warrick County Sheriff’s Office and took her into custody.
When BURKO was interviewed, she admitted that she was aware the dogs were there and that she failed to care for them.
According to the sheriff’s office “there is also a second person of interest under investigation.”
BURKO was released from the Vanderburgh County Jail after posting a meager $500 bond, but that’s not all that infuriates me!
The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office said in the press release that the female “has a prior conviction in Warrick County for Cruelty to an Animal.”
As I always say, animal abusers are toxic and toxic people do not change, they only change their victims.
The law will continue to allow scum like BURKO to take innocent lives because they do not experience the identical suffering inflicted on the VOICELESS VICTIMS.
Lawmakers, you do realize that the death of these dogs is on you!?
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Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.
