Opinion ID: 1808114
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: The Rattlesnake Incident

Text: Rhodes reports that he was threatened by Speer on August 12, 1987. The following day, Rhodes traveled to Lincoln to meet with an assistant attorney general about a complaint by Speer against Rhodes. When Rhodes returned from Lincoln, he was informed by Deputy Mayo that a rattlesnake had been confiscated from Speer. Rhodes noted that Speer had a set of Rhodes' car keys which he had obtained during the Omaha trip and that a week or 10 days prior to the rattlesnake incident, Rhodes discovered a mouse in the trunk of his car. Rhodes believed that Speer intended to kill him with the rattlesnake. Speer testified that he captured the rattlesnake at his girlfriend's house and kept it in an aquarium in his bedroom and that he did not even have the snake for a full day. Speer's mother found the snake and told Carl Speer to take it away. Carl called and asked Daniel Speer if he wanted the snake. Daniel Speer said he did not. Carl Speer then killed the snake. They cooked it and ate it. Daniel Speer stated that he did not intend to use the rattlesnake to kill Rhodes.