A Knoxville man allegedly broke the neck of his stepdaughter's puppy, suffocated it and then laughed as he presented the dead animal to the girl and her mother, a warrant alleges.
Timothy David Sawyer, 40, appeared in Knox County General Sessions Court on Monday to face a charge of aggravated cruelty to animals, the first-ever felony animal cruelty case pursued locally.
Sawyer is accused of killing a 2-month-old Jack Russell terrier on Jan. 13, a crime Knoxville Police Department officers say they heard him gruesomely describe to his estranged wife.
Assistant District Attorney General Willie Harper and attorney David Skidmore agreed at Monday's hearing to have the case waived to a Knox County grand jury for review.
Court records show Sawyer has repeated arrests for domestic violence involving his estranged wife, who has a restraining order filed against him.
Police allege the puppy's killing was another act designed to hurt and intimidate the woman.
According to a warrant filed by KPD Officer Kathy Pappas, the woman and her 13-year-old daughter returned to their Paris Road home on Jan. 13 and were greeted by Sawyer.
Sawyer "said he had something to show her and took her to the dead puppy," the warrant states.
He also showed the puppy's body to the woman's daughter, who slept with the puppy at night, the warrant states.
"(Sawyer) was laughing at the dead puppy" in front of both of them, the warrant states.
Five days later, Sawyer made a series of calls to the woman's home, according to the warrant. He did not know that KPD officers were there, the document states.
"Officers were listening and overheard (Sawyer) confessing to killing the puppy," Pappas wrote.
Sawyer is accused of shutting a bathroom door on the puppy's neck, crushing it. As the puppy struggled to breath, Sawyer allegedly poured liquid makeup down its throat until the puppy suffocated, court records allege.
A necropsy, the equivalent of an autopsy, confirmed Sawyer's account of what he did to the puppy, records show. He insisted, however, that he was not trying to kill the dog but instead poured makeup down its throat "to make it stop whining," the warrant states.
At Monday's hearing, Sawyer, who was sitting on a courtroom bench with other inmates, repeatedly tried to get the attention of his estranged wife, who was also in the courtroom. He mouthed pleading words. At one point, Sawyer raised his handcuffed hand and extended his index and middle finger as if flashing a peace sign.
He is being held in the Knox County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bond. Case UpdatesTimothy David Sawyer pleaded guilty today to breaking the neck of his stepdaughter's puppy, suffocating it and then laughing as he presented the dead animal to the girl and her mother. Sawyer, 40, was sentenced in Criminal Court to the maximum two years in prison for aggravated cruelty to animals. He will have to serve one-third of the term or about seven months.
Sawyer also pleaded guilty to coercion of a witness for threatening to kill his estranged wife for reporting him to authorities.
The two-year sentence will be served concurrently with his other term.
Sawyer admitted killing a 2-month-old Jack Russell terrier on Jan. 13, a crime Knoxville Police Department officers say they heard him gruesomely describe to his estranged wife.
Assistant District Attorney General Willie Harper and attorney David Skidmore agreed at at a court hearing to have the case waived to a Knox County grand jury for review.
Sawyer agreed Thursday to plead guilty to an information, which is a sworn accusation of a criminal offense that is taken by a prosecutor to a judge instead of a grand jury.
Police allege the puppy's killing was another act designed to hurt and intimidate Sawyer's estranged wife.
According to a warrant filed by KPD Officer Kathy Pappas, the woman and her 13-year-old daughter returned to their Paris Road home on Jan. 13 and were greeted by Sawyer.
Sawyer "said he had something to show her and took her to the dead puppy," the warrant states.
He also showed the puppy's body to the woman's daughter, who slept with the puppy at night, the warrant states.
"(Sawyer) was laughing at the dead puppy" in front of both of them, the warrant states.
Five days later, Sawyer made a series of calls to the woman's home, according to the warrant. He did not know that KPD officers were there, the document states.
"Officers were listening and overheard (Sawyer) confessing to killing the puppy," Pappas wrote.
Sawyer is accused of shutting a bathroom door on the puppy's neck, crushing it. As the puppy struggled to breath, Sawyer allegedly poured liquid makeup down its throat until the puppy suffocated, court records allege.
A necropsy, the equivalent of an autopsy, confirmed Sawyer's account of what he did to the puppy, records show. He insisted, however, that he was not trying to kill the dog but instead poured makeup down its throat "to make it stop whining," the warrant states. | Source: KnoxNews - Feb 10, 2005
Update posted on Feb 10, 2005 - 10:43PM |
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