ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A man who allegedly denied harming two cats later admitted to strangling one of them, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies first responded on December 23, to a home on Bella Vista Way in Port St. Lucie after two cats were found dead in a dumpster. Deputies approached Russell John Hunter, 28, who told investigators he had nothing to do with their deaths, and no arrest was made at that time.
Hours later, staff at a facility reported Hunter confessed during an intake assessment to killing a cat, named Dean, after it scratched him during play. In a subsequent interview, Hunter waived his Miranda rights and explained that he “just wanted Dean to like him.” He later wrote, “I don’t hate him, I miss him already.”
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A veterinary examination revealed signs consistent with strangulation, including bruising and hemorrhaging in the eyes, contradicting Hunter’s earlier claim that the cat choked on a hairball, according to the probable cause affidavit. Hunter was arrested without incident and booked into the St. Lucie County Jail for animal cruelty and perjury for providing contradictory statements.
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