Suspect arrested after kittens killed, tortured in Snapchat video, police say – FOX13 News Memphis

2022-07-30 09:19:33 By : Mr. roy cui

VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED: Kittens tortured, killed in Snapchat video VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED: Kittens tortured, killed in Snapchat video

OXFORD, Miss. — Multiple videos of kittens being tortured and killed led to a Mississippi man’s arrest, according to the animal advocacy organization In Defense of Animals.

According to In Defense of Animals, which operates Hope Animals Sanctuary in Carroll County, Mississippi, 18-year-old Carl Travis Jr. of Grenada, Mississippi was arrested on one charge of aggravated cruelty to a dog or cat after Snapchat videos surfaced showing the torture and death of four kittens.

The video that led to Travis’ arrest shows seven kittens. Three of those kittens have been recovered and are safe, In Defense of Animals said.

Carl Travis Jr. Mug Carl Travis Jr. was charged with one count of aggravated cruelty to a dog or cat. (Lafayette County Sheriff's Department)

FOX13 has seen these videos. Due to their graphic nature, FOX13 will not distribute the raw footage. In order to relay the nature of this man’s alleged crimes, FOX13 will describe some of what these videos show, but only what is absolutely necessary. Because of this, reader discretion is advised.

The videos show, in part, a kitten being kicked, a deceased kitten, a man attacking a kitten with a blade, a man apparently swinging a folding chair through the air and connecting with an animal, and a car battery being dropped on the head of a kitten.

“It was horrifying, the worst about it, it wasn’t like he killed the kittens. He methodically and sadistically took them one at a time and killed them in different ways for entertainment,” said Doll Stanley, Campaign Director of In Defense of Animals.

TONIGHT AT 9: Carl Travis Jr, 18, is charged w/ aggravated cruelty to animals after posting a graphic Snapchat story. It shows him torturing and killing a litter of kittens by kicking, stabbing, throwing them + more. We will ONLY be showing a blurred/edited version. @FOX13Memphis pic.twitter.com/kux170uYoh

Stanley said the organization received those videos and an urgent request for help for Travis’s arrest on July 25, 2022. It was later discovered that the events seen in those videos took place in Oxford, Mississippi, the animal advocacy group said.

The next day, Oxford and Grenada police departments both were involved in his arrest.

On Friday, the Oxford Police Department said Travis was taken into custody on July 26 by Grenada police for aggravated animal cruelty, a felony.

He was taken before a Lafayette County Justice Court Judge for an initial bond hearing and was issued a $5,000 bond.

Additional counts will be presented during the August grand jury session, OPD said.

WATCH: Oxford community shocked after video shows man torturing, killing kittens WATCH: Oxford community shocked after video shows man torturing, killing kittens

The animal advocacy group said that Mississippi updated its animal protection law in 2020 to include one count of cruelty for each dog or cat harmed in a single case.

“It took us years to get Mississippi to pass a law, upgrade the dog and cat protection act so that each individual animal that suffered get justice. They’ve only charged him with one count. There were four kittens that were brutally killed. We want the DA to make sure he gets the four counts,” Stanley said.

FOX13 is working to learn if additional charges are coming.

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