Case Dropped In Alleged Burned Kitten Incident(Key Witness Claims Memory Loss)

KCTV 5 website(Kansas City) ^ | 9/20/02 | KCTV

[Diddle E. Squat]

LIBERTY, MO -- The case against a man accused of burning a live kitten was dismissed on Friday because the key witness against him changed her story.

She said she had a loss of memory.

The incident allegedly happened in July at a Liberty apartment complex. A kitten was allegedly thrown in a grill as a group of people watched and cheered.

A woman said she pulled out the kitten alive, but it was later put to sleep by a vet.

Sherry Scott claimed she rescued the cat. She was considered a hero at the time, but since then, she said she had been threatened and harassed and had blocked that day out of her memory.

Without her, prosecutors were without a case.

"We had been unable to find any witnesses to confirm or deny the story, any other eye witnesses to it, any other corroboration to it, so if she has no memory of what took place, I have no basis for a charge," said Janet Lodwick Sutton, the Clay County assistant prosecutor.

Charles Benoit had been in jail since he was arrested following the alleged incident. He remained in jail on Friday on other warrants.

The only other witness for the prosecution was the veterinarian. He said the cat's whiskers were burned, but he put it to sleep because of severe birth defects.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Thug intimidates witness, and gets away with it.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Portrait of poor innocent "alleged" thug(still held in jail on other unrelated charges):

[Diddle E. Squat]

From the same website, an unrelated incident from 2 months ago:



Kitten Shoved In Mailbox Dies

BATES CITY, MO -- Someone shoved a kitten into a black metal mailbox and left it to die.

Mildred Miller tried to save the cat.

On a 90-degree day last week Miller opened her mailbox to find the kitten inside, barely alive.

Miller is passionate about animals, and she wonders if the criminal didn't know that.

"I love animals. I love animals more than people," Miller said.

The yellow tabby was barely breathing.

"There was a kitten laying, a half grown kitten, laying in there. I just stood there. I couldn't think," Miller said.

She said she believed it was put there the night before when her dog Tammy tried to tell her, by barking furiously, that there was someone down by the road.

Miller didn't go down the path to check it out, because it was late.

It was the next day, some 14 hours later, when she went to her mailbox.

She rushed the kitten to the vet and called the sheriff. The kitten's kidneys failed and she died a few hours later.

Though Mildred was back to taking care of the sheep and chickens on Monday, she couldn't stop thinking about that kitten she almost saved. She wants the animal killer punished.

"I told 'em if they didn't shoot 'em, I would," Miller said.

The Lafayette County sheriff was investigating. The responsible person would face animal cruelty charges that come with a fine and jail time.

[FRMAG]

One of the cats in the house goes by the name of Sorrito (Spanish for little skunk) he is otherwise coal black but has a white stripe on his hindquarters where he was set on fire by some sick SOB when he was a barely weaned kitten.

Found him and momma cat and three of his siblings in a dumpster where they had been discarded like so much trash. Sorrito was the only survivor.

When I took him to the vet I was told it was 50/50 but worth the try. Treated him with Aloe Vera and forced liquids with a syringe 24/7 for a week.

It was worth all the effort as he has grown into a mature and loving house companion. I was apprehensive that he would harbor a fear of humand but the reverse was true.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Earlier post on the original incident:

Man Arrested For Burning Kitten on Grill

[lelio]

Without her, prosecutors were without a case.
This is a shame. It would be more of a shame if people didn't remember the Charles Benoit and call up his employer and ask why they hired such an animal.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

I love animals. I love animals more than people," Miller said.

When I read about these sick deviants with their preference for harming defensless animals, I can't say that I blame her one bit.

[windchime]

Your story brought tears to my eyes.... and that's not an easy task. No animal deserves torture and the penalties for animal cruelty should be harsh. The perversion of these subhumans (do NOT call them animals) illustrates their disregard for ALL life.

[Marauder]

You are correct. Remember the behavior of the late Jeffery Daumer; he tortured animals before he killed them, as did other serial murderers.

[FRMAG]

No thanks needed I have a house companion who loves to take over my lap when I'm on the keyboard and has the extremely good manners not to play with the keyboard as some cats do.

The time invested was well worth it.

[TankerKC]

Thug intimidates witness, and gets away with it.

...or, witness has memory like a Florida tollbooth operator.

Although, you are probably correct.

[Drammach]

Prosecutors need to remind the witness and the public that this sort of behaviour (torturing animals) is the sort of behaviour seen in countless serial killer's profiles.

Jeffrey Daumer is one notable case.
Daumer started as a child by killing and torturing small animals, and progressed to kidnapping, murder and cannibalism.

I would hate to be the person that had to live with the knowledge that my testimony could possibly have stopped or at least interfered with the progressive development of another murderous monster.
How do You tell Your freinds, family, neighbors, that You could have stopped a serial murderer but let him/her go free?

Loss of memory my A$$.

[shadowman99]

She plunged her hand into hot coals to save a burning kitten. I think her memory is a bit sharper than a toolbooth operator.

A witness has been intimidated, and that is a felony. I hope this isn't the end of this case.

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

Maybe he will try to intimidate the wrong person on those other charges and wind up eating a 2by4!

[dark_lord]

Charles Benoit had been in jail since he was arrested following the alleged incident. He remained in jail on Friday on other warrants.

For those posters who say "thug intimidates witness and gets away with it" - maybe. But he must have been doing the intimidation from jail. Also - there were supposedly a whole crowd of witnesses, right? But the cops couldn't turn up one? And this gal who witnessed the whole thing couldn't point any out to the cops? I'm not saying the incident didn't happen - it could have happened exactly as first reported - but that something looks a little weird.

[kcpopps]

I remember when this incident happened. It was reported that this woman was threatened numerous times after calling the police. Someone kept calling her saying something along the lines of "testify and you're dead". I'll see if I can find the original quotes for that threat.

Yes the "thug" was in jail. He has "thug" friends you know.