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Home > Humor > True stories of animal molestation
True stories of animal molestation
by ted norgaard
Statesman staff writer
We at the UMD Statesman Humor Section are sometimes known for writing stories that are completely outrageous and obviously lies. We do this for the sake of humor.
Whether or not it’s actually funny is up to you. However, this week we felt it necessary to tell the infamous tale of a certain Superior, Wisconsin man’s love life. This story is completely true. We felt this story was more funny and disturbing than any lie we could create.
The following facts used in the story below were gathered from the Superior Daily Telegram and the Duluth News Tribune. Please enjoy. Last fall, Bryan James Hathaway was riding his bike near the Murphy Oil Refinery in Superior when he noticed a dead deer in the ditch next to Stinson Ave.
Hathaway said the sight of the deer in the ditch aroused him. He then moved the animal’s carcass into the nearby woods, where he sexually assaulted it.
Hathaway returned to his home covered in blood and hair from his encounter with the deer. His home was a transitional residence— better known as a halfway house.
He had just recently been released from prison regarding an April 2005 arrest involving the shooting death of a horse that he was allegedly trying to assault.
Shortly after arriving home, a complaint was filed about Hathaway’s bloody appearance. A police officer and two department of corrections agents responded to the transitional residence shortly thereafter.
Hathaway then claimed he had been cleaning a deer with his father. He later admitted to having sex with the deer. At first Hathaway pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of sexual gratification with an animal.
His public defender was intent upon challenging what constitutes an animal, claiming that Wisconsin had no laws on the books to protect dead animals, therefore making the act perfectly legal.
The charge carried a maximum of nine months in jail and up to a $10,000 fine. However, due to his prior conviction dealing with the dead horse, Hathaway faced up to two years in prison.
Eventually Hathaway was found guilty. He received no jail time. He was put on probation, forced to be evaluated as a sex offender, and legally obligated to stay away from animals.
On Friday, July 27, 2007, at the Head of Lakes Fair in Duluth, Hathaway broke his probation by entering a large-animal barn. According to the official report, Hathaway was spotted “staring at a cow” from behind a poster board.
Hathaway admitted to breaking his probation by entering the barn, but claims he was only there to find a friend. He was arrested for breaking his probation.
