WTOP (Washington, DC) 04 June 04 Decomposing Lizard Carcass Raises Stink
Frederick, Md. (AP): A man who kept a 4-foot-long lizard in a storage locker must pay $3,000 to the couple who found the animal's decomposing carcass in their adjoining unit.
The white-throated monitor found its way into the neighboring locker last fall and clawed or defecated on all of Tracey and Susan Duffy's belongings, including an antique couch her grandmother had given her, she said.
Frederick County District Judge Frederick Bower ordered Thomas Lee Douglas II on Wednesday to pay the couple $3,000 as restitution for their ruined furnishings. Bower also fined the Gaithersburg man $400 and placed him on supervised probation for a year.
The amount was less than half of the $8,000 loss the couple claimed but "we're very happy it is behind us," Susan Duffy said.
Decomposing Lizard Carcass Raises Stink