Casper Man Sentenced for Killing Woman’s Guinea Pig, Slitting Border Collie’s Throat
A Casper man will serve 18 to 24 months behind bars for an incident a District Court Judge called "senseless depravity."
He pleaded guilty to the charges in August. Natrona County District Court Judge Kerri M. Johnson handed down the sentence on Tuesday morning.
An affidavit of probable cause alleges that police were called to an apartment in the 600 block of CY Avenue after a woman reported her roommate was upset and smashing things. Officers left after determining no one was in danger.
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But police were called back to the apartment roughly an hour later after a neighbor heard screaming and a man saying he was going to slit someone's throat, the affidavit says. Officers found broken furniture, scattered clothes and garbage along with large amounts of blood spatter on the wall and pooling blood on the floor.
Officers also found a red dog collar in the blood and a dead guinea pig in a cage.
After searching the area, police found a medium-size border collie wrapped in a white garbage bag in a dumpster. The dog was bleeding from its throat and mouth, and when it saw officers, it began wagging its tail even though it was badly hurt.
The dog was taken to an animal hospital for emergency treatment.
During Tuesday's sentencing hearing Assistant Natrona County District Attorney Mike Schafer said Reed has shown no remorse since the incident occurred.
Schafer also said Reed's actions were an attempt to control a roommate with whom he'd had a previous romantic relationship.
Ultimately, Schafer said the maximum two years for aggravated animal cruelty isn't a severe enough punishment.
Defense attorney Marty Scott said Reed had severe mental health issues and that Reed stabbed the dog after he was attacked. Slitting the dog's throat was merely an attempt to put the animal out of its misery, Scott said.
"I understand animal cases get a lot of emotional responses from the public," Scott said. "But what's right for Mr. Reed is justice, in this case, is for him to get the help he needs. He needs treatment."
But Johnson disagreed.
"This simply should not occur in our society," Johnson said.
As he appeared remotely via video conference, Reed has until 5 p.m. Tuesday to turn himself into the Natrona County Sheriff's Office.