Trial for woman accused of killing Carl the Rooster is delayed

The trial for the woman accused of killing Ocean Springs’ beloved mascot, Carl the Rooster, has been delayed.

Thomas Alonzo, attorney for Kendra Shaffer, has requested a change of venue, saying his client could not get a fair trial in Ocean Springs. A status hearing will be held later today.

Shaffer was scheduled to appear in Municipal Court at 8 a.m. Monday on charges of animal cruelty. Shaffer pleaded not guilty to those charges in May.

Video from businesses in downtown Ocean Springs show Shaffer and several others walking past Carl where he was roosting and taking him on April 24. He was later found dead in a dumpster in Biloxi.

Shaffer was identified from the video. She has declined to identify the other people with her in the video. She also was terminated from her job as a corrections official in Jones County as a result of the charges.

City residents as well as others across the Coast expressed outrage over the rooster’s death. More than 270 people signed up to attend the municipal court trial.

Kendra Shaffer