Update on Cat Abuse Video Court Case

The court date for the third suspect involved in the Moss Point cat abuse video has been reset for Tuesday of next week. Animal rights activists weren’t too happy court was cancelled this afternoon.
Once again, measures to put more teeth into Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws by imposing tougher penalties have failed in the state legislature, but judging by the pack of people who gathered in Moss Point Tuesday morning such reported cases will not be ignored by animal rights advocates. Animal rights activist Linda Bock said, “I think it’s time for us as a community to speak up for these animals.”
These animal rights activists have gathered just for this reason, but did not get to see their day in court because the hearing for Karmen Coleman was postponed until next Tuesday. Two others, Laderrick and Larry Rostchild, were sentenced last week. Coleman admitted to videotaping the incident where the cat was tortured with boiling water, leading to its death, but she has pleaded not guilty to a charge that she rendered criminal assistance.
Although Coleman has not been convicted, the group gathered in Moss Point says she could have done something to help. Animal rights activist Ilsa Carlile said, “It’s just horrible. She was still complicit with everything. She was still there. She had the ability to tell them to stop.”
“She’s made it clear that she thinks all of this was funny. I haven’t seen any remorse in her whatsoever,” said Bock.
Another concern still up in the air is the community service hours the two men are sentenced to serve at the Jackson County Animal Shelter. “Who is going to watch these people? Who is going to monitor them? I mean, you’re talking about 200 hours,” said Bock.
Coleman’s court date is set for next Tuesday and members of this group say they’ll serve as a voice for the helpless animal who was brutally murdered. “People like this that do these types of things to animals, it has been shown statistically that they will move on to people and it needs to be stopped here,” said Bock.