Domestic violence ends with stabbed pet fish

On July 25, 2009, Ms. Harris returned to her apartment to find Fife lying on her bed. He told her he was there because he wanted to get back together. Harris did not want to confront Fife and tried to leave, but he got up and shoved her against a wall, grabbed her hair and then tossed her against a bathtub.

Harris managed to leave the apartment, but returned with a police officer to find her pet fish, DeLorean, a bright purple betta fish, on the floor with a knife through it.

“If she can’t have me, then she can’t have the fish.” Apparently that’s what Donald Earl Fife III told an officer, admitting he had killed the fish. He was arrested for assault for the attack on Harris.

According to his attorney, Tom Macnair, killing the fish represented the low point in Fife’s life. Prior to this offense, he had no criminal history. Ironically, Fife had given the fish to Harris prior to this incident.

Harris has decided that she wants to get a tattoo of the fish to memorialize it. She had wanted to make Fife pay for the tattoo as part of his sentencing, but the sentencing Judge Eric Bergstrom failed to rule in favor of this restitution.

The judge ordered Fife to stay away from Harris in the future, but told him he could have contact with the fish.

Fife was sentenced to two years probation and a psychological evaluation.

Just another story of domestic violence? Or could this perhaps be part of a rising crime rate associated with economic hardships?

Statistics show that domestic violence has been on the rise since this recession began. “Women, experts say, have borne the brunt of anger and frustration over lost jobs, foreclosed homes, repossessed cars and overdrawn bank accounts."

Was DeLorean yet another victim of this recession?

Written by Shelby Bateson