A canine killer in New Cumberland

by M. Stewart

The case of New Cumberland, West Virginia resident Jeffrey Nally is the stuff of horror films. According to the Review, “Nally is charged with kidnapping and 29 counts of cruelty to animals.” The county prosecutor said that the list of charges could grow as more evidence is discovered.

Police arrested Nally earlier this month after a woman reported that the defendant was holding her daughter prisoner in his home. The alleged kidnapping victim is described as his “girlfriend.” She told police that Nally had “physically and sexually abused her on numerous occasions since December.” He was under house arrest at the time as a result of domestic violence and illegal possession of firearms. The newspaper reports that Nally threatened to kill police, the girlfriend, and himself when he was arrested.

I refer you to the Review for further details of the alleged crimes. Suffice it to say that the charges involve multiple instances of canine mutilation, including the skinning of at least one animal. The prosecutor noted that killing animals in such a way “usually escalates to human victims.”

The relationship between Nally and his human prisoner is not clear. The newspaper refers to her as his “girlfriend,” which suggests a familiar relationship prior to the alleged forced detention. One cannot help but wonder how such a monster manages to acquire a girlfriend. Surely the details surrounding this grotesque relationship, should they ever be made public, will prove interesting.

And what of the canine victims? Where did he get them? Who supplied Nally with so many innocent victims? Or did he breed them himself to feed his sick passions. And what of his parents? What will they say of his rearing, his family life?

We are not surprised to hear such a macabre tale set in a distant metropolis, where the sheer size of the population is bound to produce the occasional madman, but in a small town like New Cumberland, such deviance is magnified.

Given the long list of infamous serial killers and mass murderers the human species has produced, we might conclude that Nally’s alleged bloodlust for animals does not compare with the masters, but taking pleasure in the murder of innocent victims—canine or human—delivers the same message.

It is both disturbing and instructive to realize that such creatures live among us and that madness can fester in the brains of our neighbors. As we drive down any street in any town, we must assume that families are going about the normal business of life. But truly, who can say what horrors are hidden behind the walls of even the most inconspicuous dwelling or what lies buried in the back yard?