A small group of Mesa, AZ residents protested yesterday over the dropped charges in the Mesa catnapper case. The neighborhood residents hope to be joined by more supporters at another protest on Saturday.
Scott Andrew Graham admitted to authorities last month that he stole 30 to 40 neighborhood cats, but denied hurting them. He claims to have played with the cats, then dropped them off in various locations. Graham explained away the evidence of cat hairs, blood and a bad smells in his car’s trunk and on objects from the trunk by saying that one night a group of cats jumped into his trunk and had a brawl.
Animal abuse charges were made based on CCTV footage of Graham grabbing a cat named Biscuit from the top of a car and driving off with her. The following day, three cats were found nearby, mutilated and dead, and one of the cats was identified as Biscuit. Locals, along with animal lovers following the case from afar, were shocked last Friday when the animal abuse charges were dropped by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s department, which sent the case back to local police, asking for more evidence. Mesa police said they could not pursue the case any further. In response to questions from the community, Mesa police said this week that the murdered cat previously identified as Biscuit turned out to be another cat. That detail weakened the animal abuse case to the point where the charges were dropped. Graham is now charged only with theft for stealing Biscuit, who has never been seen again.
Some residents feel Graham has been stealing cats for 3 to 5 years. Many are concernedthat Graham will continue his activities, and fear for the welfare and safety of their children and animals.
For more on the story, see $7,500 Reward Offered For Mesa AZ Catnapper, Arrest Made in Mesa AZ Catnappings, and Charges Against Mesa Catnapper and Alleged Cat Killer Are Dropped.
Where is the Saturday protest going to be held? I would like to attend and show my support in an attempt to get this coward prosecuted!!
Hi Jeff,
I don’t have the exact location, but the neighborhood is located near the intersection of Baseline and Alma School roads.
Thank you! Please keep us updated as you learn more information. If possible, I want to attend; cases like this make me ill and need to be acted on by the law enforcement community swiftly and to the fullest extent of the law (which in my mind is way too lenient since it treats animals as nothing more than personal property, meaning that homeless animals are frequently not protected by any laws). Again, many thanks.
Jeff, The protest is on the NE corner of Alma School & Pecos (south of Guadalupe), Marlboro Mesa development. The time will be from 11:00 to 1:00 pm. I was at the first protest and hopefully there will be a lot larger crowd at this one!
Thanks Mike!
This sick f**k needs to be strung up by his balls and beaten to within an inch of his sad pathetic life
Where are all the gun-loving people of Arizona? This is a chance to use all those guns for a good cause.
Even though a lot of people can’t be there in person, know that they are there in heart.