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muriel_volestrangler

(101,295 posts)
Tue May 17, 2016, 02:42 PM May 2016

Goodyear man kills, burns family dog in smoker; says "The devil made me do it"

Goodyear police say that 42-year-old Patrick Zane Thompson was upset over a T-shirt his daughter had on Saturday, believing it "had to do with the devil."

He made her bring the shirt to the barbeque smoker where he burned the shirt. He also said that, "he needed to sacrifice a male, either himself, his son (6 years old) or the family dog."

Police say the family grabbed the dog, a poodle, and tried to flee, but Thompson reportedly grabbed the daughter. The family pleaded with him until he released the girl and promised not to harm the dog, but instead he strangled and killed the dog.

When police arrived, they found Thompson lying on the sidewalk with a self-inflicted cut to his arm. He reportedly made "erratic comments that he had to 'do it for the God' and, the 'devil made him do it' and he put the dog in the smoker." They found the partially burnt small, white dog in the smoker.

http://www.abc15.com/news/crime/goodyear-man-kills-burns-family-dog-in-smoker-says-the-devil-made-me-do-it-

Detectives investigated further and learned that shortly after returning home, Thompson became upset with a shirt that his 17-year-old daughter had. Investigators said he believed the shirt had to do with the devil. That paperwork says Thompson made his daughter take the shirt and go with him to a large BBQ traveler that's parked in a side yard. The smoker was lit and police report that Thompson put the shirt in the trailer, burning it.

Investigators spoke with Thompson's family, including his daughter and wife. When Thompson went back into the house, they say he got more erratic and told his family, in front of his four minor children, that he needed to make a sacrifice of a male.

According to the victims, Thompson stated it had to be either himself, his firstborn 6-year-old son or the family dog -- a small, white poodle weighing about 15 pounds. That's when the family tried to escape the home but Thompson was able to grab hold of the dog. Investigators say the family pleaded with Thompson not to hurt the dog.
...
He allegedly later told officers that he had smoked marijuana earlier in the day and began to have an "episode." Police say Thompson said that he had a vision that something bad was going to happen to his family and that the "Lord was going to kill him for what he had done." The court paperwork adds that Thompson stated his readings in the Bible required a male sacrifice in this situation and that it wasn't going to be him or his firstborn son. So, the paperwork says, he chose the family dog.

http://www.azfamily.com/story/31984967/father-upset-with-daughters-t-shirt-sacrifices-family-dog-in-smoker

If only people weren't still talking about 'sacrifice' a couple of thousand years after their culture had stopped making them. If only there weren't influential books that rabbit on about 'sacrifice' ...
28 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Goodyear man kills, burns family dog in smoker; says "The devil made me do it" (Original Post) muriel_volestrangler May 2016 OP
"Thompson stated his readings in the Bible required a male sacrifice in this situation" trotsky May 2016 #1
There's that "Good Book" at work again packman May 2016 #2
This happened after he read a Psalm, correct? rug May 2016 #3
Does it matter to you which book or books it was? (nt) muriel_volestrangler May 2016 #5
Not if you're mentally ill. rug May 2016 #6
Yes, if your religion is filled with a vengeful god and sacrifices muriel_volestrangler May 2016 #8
How do you explain the two-thirds of delusions that do not have religious content? rug May 2016 #9
Why would I need to explain? muriel_volestrangler May 2016 #11
Then I'll answer your comment. rug May 2016 #12
The christians scare me Angry Dragon May 2016 #4
Mentally ill deflection at work here Cartoonist May 2016 #7
People always say a religious figure made them kill? rug May 2016 #10
I guess you didn't read the OP Cartoonist May 2016 #13
I read your post. rug May 2016 #14
Examples please Cartoonist May 2016 #15
Cull them. rug May 2016 #16
No deal Cartoonist May 2016 #17
It is nonsense. rug May 2016 #18
Strike two Cartoonist May 2016 #19
I'm already on base. You pitched 4 balls in 15. rug May 2016 #20
Where? Cartoonist May 2016 #21
You promised four. rug May 2016 #22
No I didn't Cartoonist May 2016 #23
Ah. In that case, I could rebut you but I won't. rug May 2016 #24
You can't. Cartoonist May 2016 #25
I could too. rug May 2016 #26
Why do these rare events keep happening? Brettongarcia May 2016 #27
Note to self: it's not good to have a dog AND a teenage daughter AND a barbeque smoker struggle4progress May 2016 #28
 

rug

(82,333 posts)
3. This happened after he read a Psalm, correct?
Tue May 17, 2016, 05:10 PM
May 2016
Family members told police he had begun to act erratically, saying in front of his wife and four children that he had to make a sacrifice of a male, either himself, his 6-year-old son or the family dog.

Thompson grabbed the dog as the children and his wife pleaded with him to stop, but he broke the dog's neck, police said. The family fled and called police.

Officers found the dog dead in the smoker. Thompson told officers he had smoked marijuana earlier in the day and began to have an "episode," according to court documents.

muriel_volestrangler

(101,295 posts)
8. Yes, if your religion is filled with a vengeful god and sacrifices
Tue May 17, 2016, 06:53 PM
May 2016

and run by hucksters telling you The Devil is real and out to get you and your 17 year old daughter via her T shirt, there's a better chance you'll be a violent psychopath when you lose control. If your religion is based on believing people get sent visions from God, your hallucinations are going to be a lot more influential on you.

As suggested further down, if someone felt inspired by Elvis when mentally ill, they'd just be All Shook Up and Lonesome Tonight.

 

rug

(82,333 posts)
9. How do you explain the two-thirds of delusions that do not have religious content?
Tue May 17, 2016, 07:00 PM
May 2016
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0101-60832007000700013&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en

Newspapers?

Or are you just venting?

Or are you asserting the ludicrous claim that religion causes psychotic delusions?

muriel_volestrangler

(101,295 posts)
11. Why would I need to explain?
Tue May 17, 2016, 07:08 PM
May 2016

I never said that all delusions spring from religion. I said a violent religion makes violent delusions more likely. This guy didn't invent 'lake of fire' on his own.

Of course I'm venting too. A religious psychopath tortured his family dog to death. It's normal to vent over things like that.

 

rug

(82,333 posts)
12. Then I'll answer your comment.
Tue May 17, 2016, 07:12 PM
May 2016
If only people weren't still talking about 'sacrifice' a couple of thousand years after their culture had stopped making them. If only there weren't influential books that rabbit on about 'sacrifice'

The answer is nothing would change. Maybe people would post about robots telling them to kill dogs. Then you could vent about robots.

Cartoonist

(7,314 posts)
7. Mentally ill deflection at work here
Tue May 17, 2016, 06:38 PM
May 2016

I'm getting tired of that lame excuse. How come no one ever kills someone and says, "Elvis made me do it."? It's always a religious figure.

 

rug

(82,333 posts)
14. I read your post.
Tue May 17, 2016, 08:30 PM
May 2016
How come no one ever kills someone and says, "Elvis made me do it."? It's always a religious figure.

It's nonsense.

Cartoonist

(7,314 posts)
15. Examples please
Tue May 17, 2016, 08:35 PM
May 2016

You know I can cull at least four instances of religicide just from this group in the last year.

Cartoonist

(7,314 posts)
17. No deal
Tue May 17, 2016, 08:47 PM
May 2016

You made the claim of "nonsense". Even with the OP staring you in the face. The burden is on you to provide examples.

Box Score:

Cartoonist: Line drive single (the OP)
Rug: Whiff!

Cartoonist

(7,314 posts)
23. No I didn't
Tue May 17, 2016, 10:01 PM
May 2016

I said I could, not would.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1218227667

Box Score:

Cartoonist delivers another line drive single. Runner advances to third on rug's fielding error.

rug still hitless.

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