Fla. tortoise torture suspect appears in court

Jennifer Greene, 18, charged with killing, torturing gopher tortoise

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – Jennifer Greene, 18, made her first court appearance Saturday morning. She showed no emotion as she listened to the charges read against her in a courtroom.

Last week, she and Danielle Dionne, 15, posted a video online that went viral. It shows a gopher tortoise being lit on fire, thrown on the concrete and being stomped on until it died.

Related: Fla. girls post video of them killing tortoise

WJXT-TV stopped by Jennifer Greene's address. The young girl who came to the door did not identify herself. She wouldn't answer any questions about Dionne, who is being tried in juvenile court according to authorities.

"Is she out?"

"She's out, yeah, but I don't know where she's at."

"Do they feel remorseful about what's happened?"

"Yes, of course they do."

"You and everyone else. On social media, in the neighborhood, in Orange Park, in Jacksonville. Yeah, everyone is bothering us."

She didn't tell WJXT-TV whether or not either family had spoken to an attorney, but said the harassment they've received since the video was posted, has not died down.

The two Orange Park teenagers have been arrested, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Greene and Dionne are charged with felony cruelty to animals, a third-degree felony, and taking, harassing, harming or killing a gopher tortoise, a second-degree misdemeanor. They were taken into custody at Dionne's Orange Park home and are both being held on $55,000 bond.


About the Authors

Ashley Harding joined the Channel 4 news team in March 2013. She reports for and anchors The Morning Show.

Emmy-nominated journalist Kristin Cason joined the News 6 team in June 2016.

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