Ex-Mississippi corrections officer pleads not guilty in killing of Carl the Rooster
A Mississippi woman has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor animal cruelty charge in the kidnapping and killing of Carl the Rooster, a beloved animal and unofficial mascot of downtown Ocean Springs.
An attorney for former Jones County juvenile corrections officer Kendra Shaffer entered the plea on behalf of his client in Ocean Springs Municipal Court just days before her scheduled court appearance Wednesday, Police Chief Mark Dunston said.
She will go to trial at 8 a.m. on Aug. 29 and is represented by Thomas V. Alonzo, a lawyer from Lafayette, Louisiana.
“My client is not guilty of any and all charges.” Alonzo said Monday, calling what happened to the rooster “a very sad story.”
“I love animals and my client does, too,” Alonzo said. “She would never participate in an act against a defenseless bird or any bird for that matter.”
Shaffer has not cooperated with Ocean Springs police to help identify other suspects seen on surveillance video with her taking Carl around 3 a.m. on April 24.
In the video, a woman believed to be Shaffer and a group of men are captured walking down Government Street with Carl after picking him up outside of Twister Anchor Tattoo & Gallery.
Another video from outside a Biloxi truck stop indicates Carl’s body was dumped there. A man, believed to be homeless, is seen picking up Carl’s body and walking away.
The Jones County Sheriff’s Department fired Shaffer after her arrest.
Carl’s proper name is Carl 2.0.
His death sparked outrage among Mississippi Coast residents and prompted a second-line funeral and parade, complete with a performance by local jazz and funk band Blackwater Brass.
This story was originally published May 23, 2022 at 12:49 PM.
