Ivana Clifford, a 26-year-old woman, killed her roommate's baby ferret named Angel by cooking it alive in an oven on Wednesday. She pleaded not guilty. The pictured is not related to the story. [Courtesy of Pixabay ]
Kara Murray of Manchester, New Hampshire opened her home to a woman named Ivana Clifford, a 26-year-old woman, because Clifford was eight months pregnant and homeless. She justed wanted to help Clifford out and get her back on her feet and help her bringing a life into the world in a safer environment than on a street.
However, she was beyond devasted when her kind gesture was returned with the death of her beloved baby ferret named Angel.
Murray and her boyfriend woke up after 2:30 a.m. Wednesday when the apartment fire alarm went off. The place was filled with smoke. Murray tearfully recalled the moment, "my boyfriend opened it and there was the dead ferret."
Visibly shocked and still in disbelief, Murray held onto her remaining ferret and told NBC news reporter, "It was devastating, devastating. How could someone be so cruel and put an animal in your oven, cooking it alive?"
Ivana Clifford, a 26-year-old woman, was homeless and 8 months pregnant when Kara Murray kindly opened her home to Clifford. [Courtesy of Manchester Police Department ]
Clifford claimed that she killed Angel because Murray stole her clothes, but Murray countered that it was because the baby ferret bit Clifford a few hours earlier. She said it was not a real bite but it was more like a nip that "didn't even draw blood."
In the court appearance on Wednesday, the judge told Clifford, "These allegations demonstrate a profound level of sadism that is of deep concern to this court", and set $10,000 cash-only bail because she is a danger to the public. Clifford is charged with felony animal cruelty. She pleaded not guilty.
Clifford will receive a mental evaluation in jail.
Kwak, Min Jung = abiel@ajunews.com
