ELK RIVER, Minn. – A Princeton man accused of torturing and killing his girlfriend's dog has reached a plea agreement and faces sentencing on Aug. 17, the Associated Press reported.
Princeton man pleads guilty to torturing, killing girlfriend's dog
Videos showed Princeton man viciously attacking his girlfriend's husky mix.
June 6, 2015 at 4:43AM
Anthony Sather, 24, pleaded guilty late Thursday in Sherburne County District Court to animal cruelty and drug possession, according to the AP report.
Sather has been jailed since early January, after his girlfriend discovered videos he shot of himself smiling and licking his lips as he beat, kicked and slammed her dog into the concrete floor of their garage. According to the police report, Draco, a Shiba Inu/husky mix, yelped continuously through the attack and tried to escape, only to be dragged back by Sather for more abuse.
Toward the end of one video, police say, Sather turned to the camera and smiled. "This ain't done yet," he said. In the final video, Draco is lying on a patch of grass as Sather aims a silver pistol at him. "Gunshots are heard," the police report concluded.
Many of the allegations against Sather are based on videos that his girlfriend, Andrea Godfrey, found on his computer in December showing the assault. Godfrey found her dog's body, stripped of the collar and blue bandanna he usually wore, in a ditch near their home a few days later.
The AP report said dozens of protesters gathered Thursday outside the Sherburne County Courthouse carrying signs calling for "Justice for Draco."
Felony torture of a companion animal carries a maximum sentence up to two years imprisonment and a $5,000 fine.
Jennifer Brooks • 612-673-4008
The pilot was the only person inside the plane, and was not injured in the emergency landing, according to the State Patrol.
