It is not uncommon for a solid case to be dismantled by the actions of witnesses or misguided prosecutors. We are sickened to report that the suspect in the killing of a cat with a crossbow in Poplarville, Mississippi, will not be prosecuted.

Though Police Chief Chad Dorn handled the case responsibly and thanked the community for assisting with the challenge of identifying a suspect, the case against suspect Justin Michael Grambling has been dismissed. He had filed a countercharge against his accuser and affiant. His affiant chose to ask that her charge against Gramling be dismissed rather than face the countercharge.

We do not have the details of the countercharge and may only report that Gramling will not be prosecuted, and without a conviction, may not be held responsible for this heinous crime. His affiant has not returned our calls. Our Justice for Animals senior campaigner has spoken with Chief Dorn. There is no evidence to connect Gramling with prior reports of cats killed with crossbows. We have no choice but to begrudgingly accept the outcome of the case and move on.

We reported that an innocent cat was found pierced with an arrow on January 30, 2025, and the investigation led to Gramling being charged with felony Aggravated Animal Cruelty under Mississippi’s Cat and Dog Protection Act, § 97-41-16, on February 4, 2025.

For those of you who signed our petition to District Attorney Hal Kittrell, he received the petition. Should someone be charged for the prior assaults on the vulnerable cats found impaled, DA Kittrell will have the memory that 12,535 In Defense of Animals supporters signed our letter seeking maximum prosecution of any defendant who so maliciously ended the life of an innocent animal. 

We thank you for joining us in our mission to change the narrative for animals like the newly passed Dexter’s and Trooper’s laws in Florida. Many of our Mississippi cruelty cases have resulted in new and strengthened statutes, ordinances, and regulations in Mississippi.