NITRO, W.Va. — A man who admitted to animal cruelty charges was sentenced to up to eight years in prison Friday.
Nitro native Richard Jones, 21, previously pleaded guilty to attempting to maliciously kill an animal and failing to appear in court. Jones allegedly called his ex-girlfriend last November and threatened to kill her 6-month-old pit bull if she didn’t come home. Police say Jones told the woman that he would hurt her dog more for every 10 minutes she was late.
Prosecutors said the dog’s body was given to the woman in a trash bag. Jones claimed not to have shot the dog and blamed another man, Nicholas Woodin, for the killing. The case against Woodin was dismissed due to insufficient evidence.
Jones had been charged with a more serious animal cruelty charge but was allowed to plead guilty to the lesser felony.