A man who admitted to hacking his cat to death because he was drunk and "thought it would be a good idea" won't face felony charges because a Florida judge wasn't convinced the killing was cruel. In a taped confession to police detectives, Scott Herrin of Fort Myers admitted to killing Thora, a Siamese cat, in February.
Herrin's wife, Leeah Shepardson (19), posed for pictures with its carcass.
The crime was first brought to the attention of authorities by workers at a Walgreens drug store after photographs documenting the killing and mutilation of the cat -- which apparently took place during a party -- were dropped off to be developed.
Despite the confession and the photographs, Judge Charles Carlton was unconvinced that the killing was cruel or that Thora suffered unnecessary pain. Carlton allowed Herrin to plead guilty to misdemeanor charges, then spoke of his reluctance to sentence the man to time in jail.
"He may be ordered to work at the animal shelter every weekend," Carlton said in court, according to media accounts. "That may be it." Case Updates| Herrin's case is being appealed - he as been released on a $25,000 bond pending the outcome of the appeal. | | Update posted on Aug 1, 2003 - 12:07PM |
Herrin plead no contest on 2/10/03 to misdemeanor animal cruelty for the February 2001 death of his Siamese cat, named Thora. He was sentenced to 10 months in jail, fined $1,000 and ordered to pay $160 in court costs.
Herrin confessed that he killed and mutilated his cat because it had fleas and kept him awake. | | Update posted on Aug 1, 2003 - 12:02PM |
A judge has rejected arguments that a 2nd trial for confessed cat killer Scott Herrin would amount to double jeopardy. Lee Circuit Judge Thomas S. Reese said double jeopardy did not apply to this case because another court never accepted his guilty plea.
Herrin will have to either enter a plea or face a second trial.
Circuit Judge Charles T. Carlton found Herrin not guilty of felony animal cruelty in April 2002 on the grounds that the state had not proven the charge. 3 months later, Herrin pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty, but Carlton refused to allow the plea after seeing e-mails that Herrin allegedly wrote insulting the prosecutor and making reference to Herrin and his wife becoming suicide bombers. | | Update posted on May 26, 2003 - 6:20PM |
| Herrin initially pled not guilty to felony animal cruelty, but because the state was unable to prove the charge, it was dismissed. He later pled no contest to misdemeanor animal cruelty and was sentenced to 10 months in jail. He was also ordered to pay $1,000 in fines and $160 in court costs. Shepardson pled guilty to felony animal cruelty and received a year of jail time. Bobbie Condon received three years probation. Charges were dismissed against Herrin's sister, who took the photographs. | | Update posted on Feb 24, 2003 - 6:37PM |
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