Case Details

Hoarding - 18 cat skeletons found in home
Porterdale, GA (US)

Incident Date: Friday, Nov 19, 2004
County: Newton
Local Map: available
Disposition: Convicted

Abusers/Suspects:
» Melissa Payne
» Aleix Thomas

Case ID: 3167
Classification: Hoarding
Animal: cat
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A Newton County couple face felony animal cruelty charges after deputies discovered the skeletons of 18 cats in their house. Melissa Payne, 28, and Aleix Thomas, 32, were free on $15,000 bond Nov 20, 2004 after their arrest.

Deputies were serving an eviction notice at the couple's rented Porderdale home when they noticed a horrible smell and decided to look around, authorities said.

What they found prompted them to declare the house uninhabitable.

"Bugs, fleas, feces, food, clothes, everything just all over the place," said David Jones, Newton County Sheriff's Office investigator.

Locked in a back room with tape sealing the door were the skeletons of 18 cats. They allegedly had no food or water.

"Cats were eating the other cats," Jones said.

Neighbors said they hardly knew the couple, although Payne and Thomas had lived in the home for some time.

"I never saw a light on at night," neighbor Christie Beal said. "I never saw either one of them come in or out of the house. And I saw both of them when they were arrested, and I'd never seen them in my life."

Both face 18 counts of felony cruelty to animals.

Contact information for District Attorney Ken Wynne:

The Honorable Ken Wynne
Newton County District Attorney
1132 Usher St., Rm. 313
Covington, GA 30014

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References

CBS46 Atlanta -  Nov 22, 2004
PETA Action Alerts - Nov 30, 2004

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