Woman found guilty of animal cruelty in Carl the Rooster case in Ocean Springs
An Ocean Springs Municipal Court judge has found a woman guilty of animal cruelty in the killing of Carl the Rooster.
Judge Calvin Taylor decided the guilty verdict after a trial that started about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Sentencing will be handled at a later date.
Kendra Shaffer, from Jones County, had pleaded not guilty to the charge in May.
“This is not the end. We will appeal,” said her attorney, Thomas Alonzo, after the verdict. “We respect the decision. He gave us a fair trial. I disagree with the judge’s decision, but I do respect it.”
Carl was an unofficial mascot for Ocean Springs before his death. He could be seen roaming the streets of the city.
According to witness testimony at Wednesday’s trial, Carl also was the victim of constant taunting and cruelty. Brandy England said Carl spent every night perched on the railing outside Anchor Tattoo, where she worked five nights a week.
“It was a daily thing, constantly messing with him, constantly thumping him,” England said. She witnessed people hit Carl with sticks and throw rocks at him. “It was pretty unbelievable when you witnessed it. It was pretty cruel. I was constantly telling them to leave him alone.”
When Alonzo asked England if she’d seen two men caught on surveillance footage harassing Carl on the night of his disappearance, England said she had. “But, when they walked away, he was still on his roost.”
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 Twisted Anchor Tattoo & Gallery. England identified Shaffer as the last person she saw pick Carl up and carry him away.
Shaffer did not testify during Wednesday’s trial. “I thought the evidence was so weak that I decided not to have her testify,” said Alonzo, adding that Shaffer would be heard when the case was appealed.
In May, Ocean Springs Police Chief Mark Dunston said Shaffer had not cooperated with authorities to help identify other suspects seen on surveillance video with her taking Carl around 3 a.m. on April 24.
At Wednesday’s trial, Shaffer’s version of the events were shared via Ocean Springs Police Detective Parker Bourque’s testimony of an interview he conducted with the suspect at the Jones County sheriff’s office during his investigation.
According to Bourque’s testimony, Shaffer said she was in Ocean Springs on the night of Carl’s disappearance. celebrating her birthday with a friend named Omar and two of Omar’s friends. She could not identify the friends by name, offer any contact information or supply the detective with Omar’s last name.
“She did say she knew him for a long time, but she never called him by his last name,” Bourque said.
After the trial, Alonzo said if his client had been able to identify the people she was with, she probably would have been found not guilty. The three men represented three other possible suspects.
“This type of case is sad because people love that rooster. The issue is who killed Carl and my client did not kill that poor bird,” he said. “She’s not that kind of person.”
At the Jones County interview, Bourque showed Shaffer two surveillance videos he had obtained during his investigation. One video showed a group of people walking down Government Street with a woman in a white dress holding Carl. The other video was of the parking lot at Mary Mahoney’s in Biloxi, where a dead Carl was found. That video showed a truck parked in the same vicinity. Someone in the truck picked Carl up from inside the truck and threw him away before the group departed.
During the Jones County interview, Shaffer confirmed she was the woman in the surveillance video carrying Carl and the truck belonged to her. Shaffer was sick that night and pulled over at Mary Mahoney’s to vomit. According to Bourque, Shaffer said she had seen several people chasing Carl downtown. She snuck up on the sleeping rooster and picked him up, then carried Carl before setting him down and leaving Ocean Springs. She denied seeing anyone she was with touch or discard a rooster at Mahoney’s.
Judge Taylor said he based his decision on Shaffer lying about setting Carl down and leaving him in Ocean Springs.
“Ms. Shaffer, I’ve been a lawyer a very long time and I’ve found when a defendant starts telling lies at any point in time, she’s trying to shift the blame,” Taylor said. “I think you lied about that because you killed the chicken. The evidence is clear.”
Carl’s proper name is Carl 2.0. His death sparked outrage among Mississippi Coast residents and prompted a second-line funeral, a parade and other events.
The trial was held in municipal court, where animal rights supporters have gathered. Doll Stanley said she works in defense of all animals. “It’s nice that we’re finally focusing on the fact that a sentient creature was harmed,” she said. “That poor rooster was probably terrified.”
Staff writer Margaret Baker contributed to this report.
This story was originally published October 26, 2022 at 1:29 PM.
