GENESEE COUNTY (WWJ) - A Genesee County man is facing over a decade behind bars after authorities claim he beheaded a duck to intimate his girlfriend during a weekend argument.
"That’s domestic violence at an epic level," Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson said of the incident in a social media post where he announced Michael Lee Humphries, 49, was arraigned in Flint on charges of domestic violence, resisting officers and animal killing/torture stemming from the Sunday, Aug, 6 incident.
According to Swanson, Humphries and his girlfriend of a year and a half were at their shared home in Cilo when an argument that began after attending a concert in Ohio the night before escalated.
The sheriff claims Humphries grabbed one of two pet ducks that he had purchased for his girlfriend earlier in 2023 and beheaded the animal in front of her.
"For one purpose and one purpose alone -- psychological domination and intimidation of a domestic violence victim," Swanson said of the motivation behind the act. "That's the only reason. Ripped the head off this animal, spinal cord still attached... and he did that to send a message to his girlfriend who he had a dispute with over the last day and threw the duck body into a pail, grabbed her face and said 'I want you to see this.'"
Swanson claims the force of which Humphries used to shove his girlfriend's face near the bucket was strong enough to leave marks.
"There's a direct connect as I've said many times before between animal abuse, neglect, torture, maiming and violence against vulnerable adults, vulnerable children, the elderly, the addicted -- there's that direct connect that shows when people are willing to kill and torture a defenseless animal that there is nothing that's going to put them over the edge to do it to another person," Swanson added.
Authorities responded to the home where Humphries "resisted at the door and fought them at the scene," the sheriff said.
He was eventually arrested and charged with first-degree maiming/torturing/killing an animal, a 10-year felony; resisting/obstructing officers, a two-year felony; and domestic violence.
Swanson said Humphries already had a prior run-in with the law in 2019 when he pleaded in another aggravated stalking complaint out of St. Clair County.
"If you're a victim out there, we want to protect you. You deserve a peaceful environment, you don't deserve any bully or any big mouth trying to intimidate you -- male, female it doesn't matter what relationship -- and certainly if there's threats against children or animals, it's a matter of time before it spills over into actual physical threats," Swanson added.
"And when you look at the data, six out of 10 animal abusers and torturers, they take it out on people at the grand level -- we saw that in Ethan Crumbley," Swanson said of the convicted Oxford High School shooter who wrote in his journals about torturing and killing baby birds.
"If you're a victim, we want to give you your voice," Swanson said. "...and if you're like Humphries, we will find you."
Humphries' probable cause conference is set for 11 a.m. Aug. 17.
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