Animal Abuse: Twenty cats killed - burned, stabbed, beaten - Helena, MT

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Case ID: 14498

Classification: Burning - Fire or Fireworks, Stabbing, Beating

Animal: cat

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Animal was offleash or loose

Abuse was retaliation against animal's bad behavior

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Attorneys/Judges

Judge(s):

Kathy Seeley

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Case #14498 Rating: 2.4 out of 5

Twenty cats killed - burned, stabbed, beaten
Helena, MT (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Sep 3, 2008
County: Lewis and Clark

Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Convicted

Defendants/Suspects:
» Brandon Wayne Hartford
» Andrew Joseph Welch
» Kyle K. Hallowell

Case Updates: 8 update(s) available

Authorities have arrested three Helena men for allegedly torturing and killing about 20 cats, including three that were burned alive.

Brandon Wayne Hartford, 26, Andrew Joseph Welch, 20, and Kyle K. Hallowell, 19, each faces a felony charge of aggravated animal cruelty for "burning, stabbing, beating, slaughtering and torturing" the cats, which they hunted in several locations in Helena, East Helena and the Helena Valley, according to documents filed Thursday in Justice Court.

Hartford and Welch, who are both being held in lieu of a $25,000 bond, were taken into custody Wednesday.

Hallowell was arrested Thursday morning and his bond will be set today.

According to Lewis and Clark County detectives Larry Platts and Cory Olson, who investigated the killings along with Det. Dennis Nyland, the three men drove around neighborhoods during the night, stalking and hunting stray and pet cats.

The men told investigators that they had killed between 16 and 24 cats.

Investigators said there is no evidence that could identify where the animals came from.

When they located a cat, the men would lure the animal into their car and take it to one of several locations, which included construction sites, wooded areas and the house on the 2800 block of Winslow Avenue where the men have been living.

"These are inhumane acts of cruelty," Sheriff Leo Dutton said. "It shocks the conscience."

The detectives said the men have been killing the animals for at least the past two months.

The alleged crimes apparently began with the men's joint dislike of cats, Platts said. Hartford allegedly started the spree by beating to death a cat that scratched him when he picked it up, Olson said.

The investigation of the men stemmed from witness statements during the investigation of an unrelated report of disorderly conduct earlier in the week, Dutton said.

Officials declined to give more information about that incident because it is still under investigation.

"I am shocked how someone can treat an animal with no way of protecting itself this way and get some gratification from it," Dutton added.

In addition to the cruelty charges, Hartford and Welch both face a felony charge of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence for removing evidence from the crime scene on Winslow Avenue and using bleach in an attempt to clean up blood stains.

Hallowell also was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of obstructing a peace officer.

Case Updates

A judge sentenced Andrew J. Welch, a Helena man who took part in the torture and killing of about 20 cats, to five years to the Montana Department of Corrections along with another two-year sentence for violating his probation.

Welch admitted to violating eight conditions of his release on felony charges of aggravated animal cruelty and tampering with evidence in District Court on Thursday afternoon.

The sentences are to run concurrently.

Welch was accused of failing to pay $2,200 in restitution, not completing 100 hours of community service, failing to attend court-ordered therapy, not undergoing sex offender treatment in order to address underlying sexual deviant issues and not paying other court fees.

In court Thursday, he admitted to the accusations. Welch told the judge he made no effort to complete any of the community service or to pay his fines and restitution.

As part of the conditions of his release Welch was to have two monthly contacts with a counselor but he told Judge Kathy Seeley he did not like the group therapy sessions.

"Your honor, I decided that I did not want to be in group and wanted individual therapy," he said, adding that the individualized sessions were not available so he simply stopped attending altogether.

"I didn't feel I belonged in that kind of treatment, your honor," Welch said regarding the recommendations of a mental health evaluator.

Seeley went along with the prosecution's sentence recommendation. His public defender agreed Welch is in serious need of structure.

Welch will be sent to an assessment center, where his placement will be determined. A prerelease center is one of the options.

He was facing the full sentences for his two felony charges �" two years under the Montana Department of Corrections or a deferred sentence up to six years for an aggravated animal cruelty charge and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or a fine not to exceed $50,000 for a tampering with evidence charge.

Welch was 20 years old when he and two other men were accused of burning and torturing the cats stemming from their joint dislike of the animals. Court documents say the killings took place in several locations in and around Helena and lasted about two months before the men were arrested in September 2008.

This isn't the first time Welch has returned to court on the same charges.

In January, he also violated conditions of his sentence.

Following those allegations, the court ruled that Welch would undergo therapy in Missoula before the case would proceed.

In Oct. 2009, both of his sentences were revoked and reinstated after Welch failed to complete the Department of Corrections boot camp.

"I hope you make a better effort this time," Seeley told Welch at the closing of Thursday's hearing.

Source: helenair.com - Aug 5, 2011
Update posted on Aug 5, 2011 - 1:53AM

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A Helena man who admitted to his part in a cat-killing spree in 2008 was back in court Thursday for not complying with the conditions of his sentence.

According to a petition to revoke the deferred sentences he received on charges of felony aggravated animal cruelty and tampering with evidence, Andrew J. Welch has allegedly violated at least seven of the conditions of his sentence.

An admit-deny hearing on the petition is slated for Jan. 6.

"The defendant has not adjusted to supervision at all. For unknown reasons, he does not seem to be able, or have the desire, to do the things that have been ordered by the Court," Cathy Murphy, state probation and parole officer, noted in her report.

Welch is accused of failing to pay $2,200 in restitution, not completing 100 hours of community service, failing to attend court-ordered therapy and not undergoing sex offender treatment in order to address underlying sexual deviant issues, according to court documents.

In court Thursday afternoon during an initial appearance on the petition, District Judge Kathy Seeley told Welch that if his sentence is revoked, he will face up to two years under the Montana Department of Corrections for the aggravated animal cruelty charge and up to 10 years in prison for the tampering charge.

Murphy is asking that both of the deferred sentences be revoked and he be sentenced to the Montana Department of Corrections for two years for aggravated animal cruelty and eight years suspended for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, to run consecutively. Murphy wrote in her report that she hopes Welch will ultimately be placed at a prerelease center.

Welch originally received in Dec. 2008 a six-year deferred imposition of sentence for felony aggravated animal cruelty and a three-year deferred sentence for a felony tampering with evidence charge to run consecutively.

In Oct. 2009, both sentences were revoked and reinstated after Welch failed to complete the Department of Corrections boot camp.

Welch was one of three men who pleaded guilty to the animal killings.

The three men admitted to "burning, stabbing, beating, slaughtering and torturing" about two dozen cats, which they hunted in several locations in Helena, East Helena and the Helena Valley, according to court documents. At least three of the cats were allegedly burned alive during the spree, which lasted about two months before the men were arrested in September 2008.

Source: helenair.com - Dec 3, 2010
Update posted on Dec 3, 2010 - 5:23PM

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A 20-year-old Helena man who took part in the torture and killing of two dozen cats has been ordered to return to a state-run, military-style boot camp.

Andrew J. Welch received a six-year deferred sentence in December for felony aggravated animal cruelty and a three-year deferred sentence for evidence tampering. But he was back in court in April after failing to complete the court-assigned boot camp. Officials said he needed more in-depth counseling.

Welch, who has received an updated mental health examination, will get more counseling and will then reapply to the boot camp program in Deer Lodge.

Welch, along with 27-year-old Brandon W. Hartford and 19-year-old Kyle K. Hollowell, pleaded guilty to "burning, stabbing, beating, slaughtering and torturing" the cats �" stemming from their joint dislike of the animals. Court documents say the killings took place in several locations in and around Helena and lasted about two months before the men were arrested in September 2008.

Source: Great Falls Tribune - Oct 2, 2009
Update posted on Oct 24, 2009 - 12:45PM

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The three Helena men who admitted to a killing spree that left two dozen cats dead were sentenced in District Court Thursday afternoon.

Brandon Wayne Hartford, 27, who the other two said instigated the killings, received a two-year sentence to the Montana Department of Corrections for felony aggravated animal cruelty and a 10-year suspended prison sentence for felony tampering with or fabricating of physical evidence, to run consecutively.

Hartford and Andrew Joseph Welch, 20, faced the same charges for the rash of killings and for attempting to cover their tracks by removing evidence from Hartford's home - where all three men were residing at the time - and using bleach in an attempt to remove blood stains.

Welch received a six-year deferred imposition of sentence for the cruelty charge and a three-year deferred sentence for the tampering charge to run consecutively under the condition that he complete the Department of Corrections' boot camp program.

Aggravated animal cruelty carries a maximum penalty of two years under the Montana Department of Corrections or a deferred sentence up to six years if restitution is owed. A single felony count is charged if a person kills or inflicts cruelty to an animal with the purpose of terrifying, torturing or mutilating or inflicts cruelty on 10 or more animals.

For the tampering charge, Hartford and Welch faced a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or a fine not to exceed $50,000.

The two men, along with 19-year-old Kyle Hollowell, also have special conditions for their sentences. These conditions include that they each must pay $2,234 in restitution to help pay for replacement pets and counseling for the victims, serve 100 hours of community service per year while under supervision, write a letter of apology to the Helena community and not have any animals.

Hollowell must complete boot camp as a condition of his two-year deferred sentence for felony aggravated animal cruelty and a six-month suspended jail sentence for a misdemeanor charge of obstructing a peace officer.

Hartford, the only one of the three who had a prior criminal history, faces a four-year prison sentence for violating his probation from an earlier burglary charge in Fergus County.

Judge Thomas Honzel went along with the recommendations of State Probation and Parole Officer Heather Snell, who prepared the pre-sentence investigations for all three men. Snell spoke in court of the need to fulfill certain criteria when suggesting a sentence, including punishment, protection of the public, restitution and rehabilitation.

Lewis and Clark County Deputy Attorney Mike Menahan agreed with Snell's recommendations as well. He argued Hartford deserved a more severe sentence because he is the oldest of the three, has a criminal history and was under the supervision of probation and parole when he committed these crimes.

Snell said boot camp was the best option for Welch, who the defense painted as immature, easily impressionable and child-like, because it would hopefully teach him accountability for his actions through a series of classes.

"It's really clear he has no social skills. He needs to have someone to report to for a length of time," Honzel said.

"I don't know what was going on inside of your head through all of this," he added, speaking to Welch.

While all three would benefit from structure and supervision, Snell said she thinks Hollowell is in need of the least amount of time. Hollowell was the only one of the trio who expressed a desire to change and set attainable goals, she testified.

All three men had previously pleaded guilty in Honzel's court. They admitted to "burning, stabbing, beating, slaughtering and torturing" cats, which they hunted in several locations in Helena, East Helena and the Helena Valley, according to court documents. At least three of the cats were allegedly burned alive during the spree, which lasted about two months before the men were arrested in September.

Although the three men each had separate consecutive hearings, the owners of the two cats that could be identified by authorities spoke to the trio during the sentencing of Hartford, who was first.

Linda Teigen displayed a framed photo of her cat, Mugsy, in front of Honzel's bench and Oline Barta did the same with a picture of her calico, Squeaker.

Teigen and Barta said they hope the three men can change their ways.

"You did a terrible thing, but you can learn and decide to be a better person," Teigen said.

Barta said her family thinks the men who killed her cat are too lazy and uncaring to stop their criminal behavior, but encourages Hartford, Hollowell and Welch to prove them wrong.

"Catching tame cats is easy, but turning yourself around will be hard. Controlling small animals is easy. Controlling the negative forces in you will be hard."

Welch was the only one of the men who spoke in court Thursday.

"I wanted to say that throughout this I lost the respect of a lot of family�and rightfully so," he said, adding that he didn't realize what he was doing during the killings.

"It'll be a long time before I can forgive myself. I hope some day they can forgive me," Welch said.

Source: Helena Independent Record - Dec 12, 2008
Update posted on Dec 15, 2008 - 11:02PM

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The sentencing of one of the three Helena men who admitted torturing and killing about two dozen cats and then trying to cover their tracks has been postponed until December.

Kyle K. Hallowell, 19, pleaded guilty in September to felony aggravated animal cruelty, and had been scheduled to be sentenced Thursday in Helena District Court.

Instead, he will be sentenced Dec. 4, along with the other two men, Brandon Wayne Hartford, 26, and Andrew Joseph Welch, 20.
In October, Hartford and Welch each also admitted to a felony aggravated animal cruelty charge.

They also pleaded guilty to a charge of felony tampering with or fabricating of physical evidence for allegedly removing evidence from the residence where all three were living and using bleach in an attempt to remove blood stains.

Aggravated animal cruelty carries a maximum penalty of two years under the Montana Department of Corrections or a fine not to exceed $2,500, or both.

A single felony count is charged if a person kills or inflicts cruelty to an animal with the purpose of terrifying, torturing or mutilating or inflicts cruelty on 10 or more animals.

For the tampering charge, Hartford and Welch face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or a fine not to exceed $50,000 for the tampering charges.

Hallowell also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing a peace officer, which carries a maximum of six months in jail.

Brandon Wayne Hartford, 26, and Andrew Joseph Welch, 20, each admitted to a felony aggravated animal cruelty charge.

They also pleaded guilty to a charge of felony tampering with or fabricating of physical evidence for allegedly removing evidence from the residence where all three were living and using bleach in an attempt to remove blood stains.

The two men admitted in court to capturing and killing cats.

The other man involved in the killing spree, 19-year-old Kyle K. Hallowell, pleaded guilty to felony aggravated animal cruelty in court last Thursday.

Hallowell, who was released from jail after posting $25,000 bond, also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing a peace officer, for which he faces a maximum of six months in jail.

The men are accused of "burning, stabbing, beating, slaughtering and torturing" cats, which they hunted in several locations in Helena, East Helena and the Helena Valley, according to court documents. At least three of the cats were allegedly burned alive during the spree, which lasted about two months before the men were arrested last month.

The men told detectives they had killed between 16 and 24 animals and the spree was spurred by their joint dislike of cats.

Source: Missoulian - Nov 22, 2008
Update posted on Nov 23, 2008 - 5:22PM

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Two more Helena men accused of torturing and killing cats have pleaded guilty in District Court. Brandon Hartford and Andrew Welch entered their pleas Thursday to felony aggravated animal cruelty and evidence tampering.

A third man, 19-year-old Kyle Hallowell, pleaded guilty last week to felony aggravated animal cruelty charge and a misdemeanor charge of obstructing a peace officer. He admitted participating in the killing of 4 cats.

Altogether, the group is accused of torturing and killing as many as two dozen cats in and around Helena - stemming from their joint dislike of the animals.

The 26-year-old Hartford and 20-year-old Welch also are accused of removing evidence from the home they shared with Hallowell and using bleach to remove blood stains.

Hallowell's sentencing is set for Nov. 20; Hartford and Welch are to be sentenced Dec. 4.

Source: KPAX - Oct 2, 2008
Update posted on Oct 2, 2008 - 9:29PM

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If anyone is interested in contacting the County Attorney or writing them, the information is as follows:

Lewis and Clark County Attorney/Public Administrator
Courthouse - 228 Broadway
Helena, MT 59601
Phone: (406) 447-8221
E-mail: [email protected]

Update posted on Sep 20, 2008 - 4:11AM

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Three Helena men accused of torturing and killing about two dozen cats had their initial appearance in District Court Thursday afternoon.

Brandon Wayne Hartford, 26, Andrew Joseph Welch, 20, and Kyle K. Hallowell, 19, each face a felony charge of aggravated animal cruelty.

Hartford and Welch, who both remain under custody, are set to be arraigned Oct. 2. Hallowell, who has posted $25,000 bond, will be arraigned Thursday.

The men are accused of "burning, stabbing, beating, slaughtering and torturing" cats, which they hunted in several locations in Helena, East Helena and the Helena Valley, according to court documents. At least three of the cats were allegedly burned alive during the spree, which lasted about two months before the men were arrested.

Aggravated animal cruelty carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and/or a fine not to exceed $2,500.

Hartford and Welch each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or a fine not to exceed $50,000 for felony tampering with or fabricating of physical evidence for allegedly removing evidence from the residence where all three were living and using bleach in an attempt to remove blood stains.

Hallowell also was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of obstructing a peace officer, for which he faces a maximum of six months in jail.

Investigators say the men drove around neighborhoods during the night, stalking stray and pet cats, ultimately luring the felines into their car. They would then take the animals to one of several locations, which included construction sites, wooded areas and the house on the 2800 block of Winslow Avenue where the men had been living.

The men told detectives they had killed between 16 and 24 animals and the spree was spurred by their joint dislike of cats.

Source: HelenAir - Sept 19, 2008
Update posted on Sep 20, 2008 - 12:20AM

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Twenty cats killed - burned, stabbed, beatenHelena, MT (US)

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Twenty cats killed - burned, stabbed, beaten
Helena, MT (US)