Abby Toll, accused of taping a dog upside-down to a refrigerator: Not mentally impaired?

As crimes go, the one of which former CU student Abby Toll has been accused is hardly run of the mill. The Bouder Daily Camera describes it like so: "Toll is accused of binding her boyfriend's 2-year-old shiba inu, Rex, in hair bands and packing tape and sticking him upside-down...

By Michael Roberts

March 4, 2010

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As crimes go, the one of which former CU student Abby Toll has been accused is hardly run of the mill. The Bouder Daily Camera describes it like so: "Toll is accused of binding her boyfriend's 2-year-old shiba inu, Rex, in hair bands and packing tape and sticking him upside-down to a refrigerator during a fight."

Sounds horrible -- not to mention borderline impossible.

The latest development in the case, according to the Camera: A judge has ruled that Toll will not be able to claim an impaired mental condition as what her lawyer calls "an ongoing victim of domestic violence" at her upcoming felony-animal cruelty trial, slated for April 12. Her boyfriend at the time, Bryan Beck, has already pleaded guilty to misdemeanor animal cruelty -- and his dog has been adopted by another family.

One, we hope, that realizes Rex is a dog, not a refrigerator magnet.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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