A Touching Tale
Despite Sandy’s assertion that Travis had never displayed violent tendencies, there was a sensitive story she chose not to share with the officer. Two years prior, Connie Casey, the breeder from whom Travis was acquired, had contacted Sandy with distressing news. It was revealed that Travis’s parents had escaped from their enclosure and sought refuge at a nearby ranch, where 17-year-old Jason Coats was driving with friends.
According to Coats, the chimpanzees trapped them inside the car and began rocking it. Jason managed to escape and quickly returned home to retrieve his shotgun. When he returned to the scene, Casey had also tranquilized Suzy, Travis’s mother. Despite Casey’s pleas, Jason decided to shoot Suzy, resulting in her subsequent demise. While some neighbors perceived the chimps’ behavior as playful, Jason believed them dangerous. He faced legal consequences and served a one-month sentence for animal abuse and property damage charges.
