FIRST REPORT: Middletown man accused of killing cats, stashing them in freezer
Today, a Butler County grand jury indicted Cunningham on 14 counts of felony cruelty to companion animals, all felonies. Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser told the Journal-News that additional cats were found during the investigation.
Cunningham remains housed in the Butler County Jail in lieu of $35,000 bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 16 on the indictments by Butler County Common Pleas Judge Charles Pater.
A Middletown humane officer visited Cunningham’s home Aug. 30 for a complaint that he had been harming cats and kittens. During a conversation with the officer, Cunningham gave consent to search his residence, and police found cats in a freezer in the home.
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Cunningham admitted he killed eight of the cats and was arrested and booked into the Middletown City Jail, according to police.
“He killed them in different ways,” Reeve previously told the Journal-News. “He took in a stray. He was cleaning it up and it attacked him, so he said he punched and stabbed it in self defense.”
Another cat did not wake Cunningham up “gently” so he threw it against the wall, Reeve said.
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