Marine Pleads Guilty in 2008 Duck Stoning at Bever Park

By Trish Mehaffey, Reporter

Ducks who survived an attack by vandals huddle in the corner of a night house at the water fowl exhibit at the Bever Park Children's Zoo this morning, Wednesday, June 25, 2008. Vandals killed about 50 ducks there overnight. (Jeff Raasch/The Gazette)

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By Aaron Hepker

Story Created: Sep 23, 2010 at 2:31 AM CDT

Story Updated: Sep 23, 2010 at 2:31 AM CDT

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The second man charged in the stoning of 50 ducks to death June 2008 in Bever Park petting zoo pleaded guilty Wednesday in Linn County District Court.

Shayne Smalling, 20, of Twentynine Palms Calif., made his guilty plead to livestock abuse, a misdemeanor, in writing because he’s a marine stationed in Calif. He also was ordered to pay a fine of $625 and will not have to serve any jail time.

Smalling made a public apology in The Gazette through a letter to the editor last year. Smalling admitted what he did and asked the community to forgive him.

Zachary Kanellis, 20, of Cedar Rapids, also pleaded guilty two weeks ago to third-degree criminal mischief and injury to livestock, both misdemeanors. Kanellis received a deferred sentence of unsupervised probation for two years and was fined $625 for each count.

Smalling and Kanellis will also make victim restitution after a statement of damages are filed by the state within 30 days.

A park caretaker discovered the vandalism at the zoo June 25, 2008, and found the 50 dead ducks and geese, which had been beaten and stoned to death sometime the night before.

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