ANTRIM COUNTY, MI – After nearly three years, a snake named Snek has been reunited with its owner.
Snek, a boa constrictor, is one of nearly 200 animals – many of them starving and dehydrated – seized in April from the Antrim County residence of Brooklyn Beck. Dead animals were also found in a freezer.
Beck recently pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree killing and torturing animals. The animals, which were being held as evidence, were recently forfeited and made available for adoption by Antrim County Animal Control.
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On Saturday, Nov. 12, Kali Williams, of Arizona, arrived at the shelter after a 4,300-mile drive to claim her beloved Snek. She hadn’t seen him since 2019.
“I could not be happier to have him back,” she told MLive.
Snek, an adult male boa constrictor, is seen here after he was rescued. He is extremely underweight.
Owner Kali Williams is grew up with snakes, but Snek was her first snake of her own, which she got when she was 18 years old. Williams and Snek were reunited at Antrim County Animal Control on Saturday, Nov. 12. Snek spent nearly three years in the care of two people who are now facing animal abuse charges.Provided by Kali Williams
In late 2019, Williams trusted Michael Turland and Brooklyn Beck to care for her snakes while she dealt with family issues. The couple took Snek, a female boa named Big Momma, a female juvenile Argentine boa constrictor named Luci, and an Argentine male named Jigsaw, Williams said.
“They put on an amazing face – they seemed like diehard animal lovers,” Williams said.
Eventually, Turland and Beck became unreachable, she said. Williams didn’t know where her snakes were. In April, she called 911 and reported that a freezer full of dead animals had been found at Turland’s former residence in Golden Valley, Ariz.
Turland has been charged with animal abuse in Arizona.
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Williams feared her snakes were among the frozen animals. Lucie and Jigsaw were found dead in the freezer. Jigsaw appeared healthy and was likely frozen alive, she said. Lucie appeared to be starved to death and then frozen.
Jigsaw, an adult male Argentine boa constrictor, is seen here. Kali Williams boarded Jigsaw with Michael Turland and Brooklyn Beck in late 2019. Lucie was found dead in a freezer at Turland’s former residence in Arizona in April. He appeared appeared healthy and was likely frozen alive.Provided by Kali Williams
Lucie, a juvenile female Argentine boa constrictor, is seen here. Kali Williams boarded Lucie with Michael Turland and Brooklyn Beck in late 2019. Lucie was found dead in a freezer at Turland’s former residence in Arizona in April. She appeared to have been starved to death and then frozen.Provided by Kali Williams
Shortly after the Arizona case began, authorities in Michigan executed a search warrant at Beck’s home in Central Lake. About 200 animals were seized from her residence. Several dead snakes were found in a freezer there as well.
With Snek and Big Momma still unaccounted for, Williams feared her pets were among the dead. Big Momma was found frozen. Snek was alive but in bad shape.
Big Momma, an adult female boa constrictor, is seen here. Kali Williams boarded Big Momma with Michael Turland and Brooklyn Beck in late 2019. In April, Big Momma was found dead in a freezer at Beck’s residence in Antrim County.Provided by Kali Williams
“When I dropped him off (in 2019), he was fat, chunky and social,” Williams said.
At that time, Snek would eat an adult rat every six weeks and weighed around 25-30 pounds, she said.
When she got him back over the weekend, Snek weighed 8 pounds. He is also covered in scars, Williams said.
“He’s still puppy-dog sweet, but a little skittish,” she said. “He’s insanely small and covered in scars.”
Snek, an adult male boa constrictor, is seen here prior to being the care of people now facing animal abuse charges. He is a healthy weight.Provided by Kali Williams
Williams said her main concern making the trip to Northern Michigan was that the rescued animals wouldn’t end up in the hands of Turland’s and Beck’s friends and families.
She took 14 snakes, eight dogs and a cat back to Arizona. The dogs and cat have been placed in forever homes. Williams is keeping the snakes until they are fully treated for mites and then plans to rehome them.
Williams estimates the cost of the adoption trip was about $6,100, including about $2,200 in adoption fees. She has a GoFundMe campaign to help offset the cost.
Antrim County Animal Control has found homes for most of the animals related to this case, said Officer Inga Waldrep. There are several exotics that still need homes, including two tortoises (one of them weighs 80 pounds), a bearded dragon, a chameleon and turtles.
Adoption applicants will have to prove that they have the knowledge and equipment to care for these animals, she said.
“We’ll find the right homes,” Waldrep said.
Meanwhile, Beck is scheduled to be sentenced in Antrim County court Monday, Dec. 12.
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