Man offered deal in kitten's death

A 33-year-old Little Rock man accused of killing a kitten can avoid a felony animal-cruelty conviction if he gets mental health treatment, doesn't buy or adopt any more pets, and stays out of trouble with the law for the next year.

In the arrangement reported Monday, negotiated by defense attorney Bill James, the felony cruelty charge against Matthew Jennings Maul will be reduced to a misdemeanor if he abides by those and other conditions for the next 12 months.

Maul will also have to make quarterly court appearances before Pulaski County Circuit Judge Barry Sims to report on his progress.

The requirements outlined by deputy prosecutor Kim Davis include random drug testing; posting a $2,500 bond; and staying away from Lisa Coggins, a neighbor who complained he texted her a picture of the kitten before it was killed.

The arrangement also requires that Maul stays away from Little Rock Animal Village, which houses the city's animal control services, and have no contact with animal control manager Tracy Roark.

As part of the court proceedings, state doctors examined Maul and diagnosed him with depressive, anxiety and panic disorders but did not find that he suffered from mental illness, according to a psychiatric report. Maul had prescriptions for psychiatric medications and had been hospitalized before for psychiatric reasons, according to the report.

Maul has been jailed since his October arrest after Coggins reported seeing a wet, dead kitten with duct tape on its paws on his doorstep.

According to police reports, a pizza deliveryman reported seeing the dead animal, while Coggins' boyfriend told police he had seen Maul throw the carcass over a railing.

Animal control searched the area and couldn't find the remains, which Coggins found in front of Maul's apartment on the next day.

The landlord told police he'd found dead cats around Maul's apartment.

Police discovered Maul had acquired 12 cats over the five weeks before Coggins complained about him to police.

Maul has been jailed about 11 months. His $500,000 bail was reduced to $100,000 in March with the condition that he not return to his Meredith Court apartment if he was released.

Metro on 08/26/2014

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