A year later, some goodness emerges from Beignet's stabbing death · Asheville Watchdog

Sometimes trying to make sense of the senseless is impossible in this world.

That’s pretty much the case with the murder of Liesbeth and Tom Mackie’s beloved dog Beignet, who was stabbed to death in June 2023 while Liesbeth Mackie was playing pickleball at Weaver Park. A deeply disturbed man attacked the 30-pound dog with a knife, killing him, after Liesbeth Mackie tied 11-year-old Beignet up on a long leash near the courts, as she often did.

A year later, the Mackies struggle to understand why this happened. But one aspect of their journey now makes perfect sense to them: Asheville is a large community of deeply caring people.

For example, Liesbeth Mackie said she stopped by the North Asheville Animal Hospital last week to thank the staff for their kindness that day, one of the worst days of her life.

“They gave me a whole book of people who had written the nicest things,” Liesbeth Mackie said.

The notes and cards came from “many loved ones, but also complete strangers who wrote the most heartwarming and kind things,” she said. The outpouring of love and empathy continued from all sides.

“On the pickleball courts — you know, all the random hugs — at the dry cleaners, at our favorite restaurants,” Liesbeth Mackie said Thursday at a small memorial she and her husband held in Weaver Park. “Tommy wanted to leave Asheville, he was so upset. You remember him rambling and raving last year. And then everyone was so nice, we were like, “We're not going anywhere. »

The fatal shooting of Beignet, named for the doughnut-shaped treat synonymous with Tom Mackie's hometown of New Orleans, shocked the Asheville area and made headlines across the country. Witnesses described the assailant, James Wesley Henry, appearing to punch Beignet multiple times. But he was holding a knife.

Mackie rushed Beignet to the veterinary hospital, but the dog died.

A year later, Tom Mackie says Liesbeth, a retired marketing executive, was struggling to come to terms with the tragedy. A commercial airline pilot, Tom Mackie had left for flight training when Liesbeth called to tell him of Beignet's death.

He said his chief pilot immediately told him, “You think everything is fine, but it's not.” »

“And when he said that and I came home, I knew it was tragic,” Tom Mackie said. “But then the whole world rallied behind us.”

The veterinary hospital where Liesbeth Mackie took Beignet after the attack held a memorial for the dog for months. She and her friends spent hours in the hospital's mourning room mourning Beignet, whose body was carefully wrapped in a blanket.

“When people came to sign the book, they were crying,” said Pamela Morgan, a receptionist at North Asheville Veterinary Hospital. “People really love their pets and they rally around them because we need to be their voice.”

Just recently, the Mackies created a GoFundMe page in Beignet's honor to financially help people who can't afford to pay their vet bills. As of Friday afternoon, he had easily surpassed the Mackies' $500 goal.

This isn't a big surprise to Chrissy Bosse, the hospital's office manager.

“We are a community of animals in general, but especially for dogs. I feel like Asheville is a real dog community,” Bosse said. “There are so many things to do with your pets here, and there are so many things to do with your dogs. »

A Return to Pickleball

Although the attack shook Liesbeth Mackie, she was determined not to let such indiscriminate violence rule her life. She said she quickly got back into playing pickleball, and it helped her heal, although it's not over yet.

Several of his pickleball friends came to the small memorial ceremony organized by the Mackies on Thursday to thank the community. Rain prevented the pickleball games from happening, but everyone enjoyed the boxes of donuts the Mackies brought for their friends in honor of Beignet.

One table was decorated with photos of Beignet, as well as potted sunflowers that people could take home.

With a steady light rain, turnout was low, but Mackie says her pickleball friends were steadfast. They offered love, support and determination to keep the tragedy in perspective.

“I like that everyone brings their dogs – it doesn’t scare anyone,” Liesbeth Mackie said. “Like Montford the other day, there were three dogs; the last time I played here, there were dogs. Pickleball and dogs, they have to go together. Dogs want to be with their owners, be outside and visit each other.”

Former Mackies pet sitter Sonja Kun came out Thursday to offer her support. She was supposed to watch Beignet the weekend after the incident, Kun said.

Kun said Beignet's death particularly shook her, in part because her son was playing baseball at a nearby field that week. It made him feel like, “If anyone could do that, I mean, no one is safe.” “That's what I thought,” Kun said.

A good friend of Kun's can't even drive to Weaver Park because of the terrible memories.

“So every time we go out, I tell myself: I’m not going to drive through here,” Kun said. “Every time I pass by there, that’s all I think about. »

In April, a Buncombe County judge ruled that Henry, 44, was not competent to stand trial and would be committed to Broughton Hospital, a state mental health facility, for further evaluation and treatment. Records from the Buncombe County Detention Center indicate Henry remains in custody there.

As Asheville Watchdog previously reported, Henry was homeless at the time of the murder and prone to alcohol-fueled volatility. He served briefly in the military, but his mother said last summer that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and had a drinking problem.

Regarding Henry, Liesbeth Mackie said she is only focusing on positive support from the community because his fate is out of her control. The country lacks mental health institutions and care, she said, as is the case in much of the world.

Asked if she and Tom had adopted another dog, Liesbeth Mackie said no, but that her daughter had recently adopted a new puppy, who looks a lot like Beignet. He's sort of being used as a lapdog.

But the Mackies aren't quite ready to replace Beignet, a dashing mixed-race who stole their hearts more than a decade ago. When she was recently in Holland visiting her mother, Liesbeth Mackie said she was tempted to bring home two Corgi sisters, but that would have been logistically tricky with airlines.

For now, they are waiting.

“Beignet came to our house, you know, and I think our next dog will be like that,” Liesbeth Mackie said. “It will happen naturally. »

Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team that produces stories that affect Asheville and Buncombe County. John Boyle has been covering Asheville and surrounding communities since the 20th century. You can reach him at (828) 337-0941 or by email at [email protected]. Watchdog's reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service, visit avlwatchdog.org/donate.

Related