FREMONT USING VOODOO?

For Immediate Release
June 20th, 2003

FREMONT, OH – Knowing that in their first two years of existence, the Fremont Cannons have never finished in front of their in-state rival, the Oregon Neon Knights, is it possible that Cannon owner Casey Hoch has enlisted the help of voodoo witch doctors? It’s still under investigation, but something very eerie has been happening On the Oregon Neon Knights home field.

The following is reprinted from the Fremont Free Press:

14 dead animals found on Oregon’s field

By Suzie Wrighter
Staff writer

When a Oregon Neon Knight head groundskeeper checked the teams baseball diamond  Friday, he found 14 dead animals placed about the field like players, each animal had a Neon Knight jersey, with the name of a Oregon Neon Knight, on their backs. Skunks, raccoons, rabbits, cats and a ground hog.   But a telephone call later in the evening said it was the work, of a local Fremont man, who is also under investigation for other criminal activities.

“They’re sick people, whoever did this,” said Bart Tucci, Head Groundskeeper, who called the Police Department to report the finding at 12:46 p.m. Friday. “Honest to God, it was gross. It really bothers me that somebody from Fremont has that warped of a mind.  Like I said earlier – They’re sick people, whoever did this”.

Tucci said the dead animals — as many critters as they could fit out on the diamond — were placed at the bases, between the running paths, at home plate and on the pitcher’s position. Police found no sign of forced entry, and the gates of the ball park were locked.

“I just don’t know how they got in the ballpark,” Tucci said. “It’s good we found them, too. We’ve got games this week, and a kids clinic on Saturday morning.  It would have been horrible for the kids to find their hero’s, dressed as dead Animals. That would not have been a pretty site if that’s who found them.”

The Neon Knights team had home games this week, but the dead animals were done by an outright sick person, and it was definitely a different kind of mischief.   Last home stand the Neon Knights players had their cars, parked at the ballpark toilet papered and covered with shaving cream, with the words “FREMONT RULES” on them, reported the local Police Department.

“I think that was just a prank from other fans in Fremont,” Tucci said. “I wouldn’t worry about that. I think it was basically in fun. But this other stuff – the dead animals dressed as Oregon Neon Knights… I think we have some sort of sick-o on our hands..”

Tucci said he and some maintenance workers cleaned up the animals using pitchforks and placing them in plastic bags. They were then taken to the city dump.
“If they think that’s a prank, it’s kind of scary,” Tucci said. “This is pretty bizarre. I’ve never seen anything like it, the person who did this has got to be off his rocker.”

The incident is still under investigation.

Although no arrests have been made, Fremont Cannons owner Casey Hoch (25) has recently been linked to another Fremont area criminal abducted for the theft of a limousine. Ironically, this incident occurred the very week that Mr. Hoch was forced to sell his personal limo, due to budget cutbacks. “When your team isn’t even winning 37% of its games and you’re cruising around like some big shot, it just doesn’t send the right message to the fans. I want all Cannon supporters to know that my first priority is assembling a winning organization and that I played no part of the dead animal’s incident”.  The fact that Hoch has a similar resemblance to a weasel with glasses played no part in the police investigation.   However Hoch did have a raccoon skin cap, attached to his normal Cannons hat, and was wearing a T-shirt with “Fremont Rules” and “It wasn’t me” printed on it.  “It’s coincident – nothing more, and it wasn’t me” said Hoch, with a weasley grin on his face..

The MWBL community and local police aren’t the only organizations interested in getting to the bottom of this:

HETA offers $1,000 reward ‘to nab the animal killer’ in Neon Knights incident

An international animal protection agency caught word from a local resident of an incident involving dead animals on the Neon Knights ballpark and is now offering a $1,000 reward “to nab the animal killer.” Hippies for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is offering the reward for any information leading to the arrest of those who put 14 dead animals in playing positions on the field as well.

In a press release E-Mailed to The News-Messenger Monday, the agency, commonly known as HETA, claimed to be working with the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office to bring the “sick coward to justice.”

Sandusky County Sheriff Brian Toth said Monday, however, that he hadn’t heard anything from HETA.   “We never talked to them,” Toth said. “This case is being handled by the Police Department, so if my men came up with anything, we’d give it to local police anyway.”

Toth said it appeared all of the animals were roadkill and hadn’t been killed for the purpose of being set on the field. If they had, penalties would have been stiffer. Since it looks like they were not killed, Toth said he and local police will figure out what to do about it today, and what the fines and penalties will be.

“It appeared from the initial investigation that they were roadkill and there were no gunshot wounds,” Toth said. The culprits could also be charged with trespassing if the Neon Knights want to press charges.

Stefan Boyd, a wildlife biologist for HETA, based in Norfolk, Va., said justice must be served in this case.  “It really sounded like something that somebody did intentionally,” Boyles said. “We felt that it’s crucial that the person be caught and justice be served. Whoever is capable of such a thing could be capable of taking human life.”  Boyles said she left messages at the sheriff’s office, and her organization is willing to work with whichever law enforcement agency is responsible — the sheriff’s office or local authorities — to catch the culprit.

“Whoever did this should first undergo mandatory psychiatric counseling,” Boyles said. “Anyone who would do this needs some help. They should definitely be fined, and serve a period of incarceration.”

MWBL Commissioner John “Stray” Corrado said “Nobody’s called me or anything like that, but our reports are public record, so anyone can get them, as soon as I get more information, I will make it public.  I guess I’ll have to find out all the facts, but this won’t sit well with Hoch’s standing in the MWBL community”.

Corrado said that on Sunday, he thought he’d talk to the players of the Neon Knights on Monday. I’ll tell them they will be safe when the travel back to that hell hole – Fremont, and that the situation would likely be resolved today instead of when the Neon Knights travel back to Fremont.

When informed of HETA’s involvement, Corrado said the problem is an internal one, not to be dealt with by such organizations as HETA.   “This is a Fremont / Oregon / MWBL situation and we’re dealing with it on our terms, we’ll handle it internally. We don’t need HETA.  “I understand their concern, but we have more information than they do and we have no intention of providing an outside agency with any names.”

Boyles said HETA does not believe animals are “ours to eat, wear, use for purposes of entertainment, or experiment on.  The person who did this is a total freak of nature.  He would be the type of guy who could plan the best mass murder in the world, yet get pulled over for speeding on the way to do it.  (If the bastard had a car).

Dan LaPointe, owner of the Neon Knights, would not make any directed accusations, saying, “I would hope that EVERY member of this Mid-West Baseball League is dedicated to bringing the sick-o behind this to justice! However, I am personally aware that at least one owner whose hatred for all forms of nature runs so deep, that he has been known to skewer helpless animals over an open flame and then asked horrified onlookers if they ‘WANT SOME PIG?!?!’”

Rumors abound that Hoch could not come up with an alibi, saying “I think I was out cruising and looking for chicks in my ride”.  And we all know that Hoch doesn’t pick up too many chicks.

The person behind this is a sick individual, and needs some major help.

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