Ronald Fraser Golden, 52, who was accused of stomping kittens to death in 2013, has been found not guilty of animal cruelty
A man who was accused of stomping kittens to death has been found not guilty of animal cruelty by reason of mental disease or defect.
Ronald Fraser Golden, 52, was arrested in 2013 after police received an anonymous tip during their investigation of dead kittens that were found near his home in Athens, Alabama.
Golden was set for trial Monday morning for 22 felony counts of cruelty to a cat.
But Limestone County prosecutors conceded a motion by the defense to find Golden not guilty for mental health reasons, according to AL.com.
That stemmed from Golden being committed to a mental hospital for 10 days immediately after his 2013 confession to police that he killed several cats.
In a motion filed last week, Golden’s attorney Lucas Beaty asked the judge to keep his client’s statements out of the trial.
While he was in the hospital a judge deemed him ‘mentally ill’.
According to court documents, the judge ruled that Golden was ‘in need of treatment and was unable to make rational and informed decisions’.
‘At the time of interrogation, the defendant was mentally incapable of understanding his Miranda rights and, therefore, was unable to knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently waive the same,’ Beaty wrote in court records.
Golden was arrested in 2013 after police received an anonymous tip during their investigation of dead kittens found near his home in Athens, Alabama. This kitten was rescued from Golden’s home in 2013
Golden was set for trial Monday morning for 22 felony counts of cruelty to a cat. But Limestone County prosecutors conceded a motion by the defense to find Golden not guilty for mental health reasons
After Golden was arrested he told officers that he had a ‘cat kill room’ in his home where he would throw kittens he had bought off Craigslist against the wall until their necks broke, or stomp on them.
‘Golden admitted to buying kittens off Craigslist, naming them and then killing them,’ police chief Floyd Johnson said at the time.
Golden said he killed the defenseless creatures because he was ‘angry at the world’.
‘Golden told investigators he had a cat room where he would throw the kittens against the floor to break their necks, stomp on them or wring their necks.’
When police searched his home, opposite an elementary school, they found blood spatters on the walls and floors and the bodies of five kittens in the garden, according to AL.com.
Two kittens named Melvin and Mia, and two dogs were found alive in the house. Lieutenant Chris Slaton said at the time that Golden claimed to have cared for the dogs.
That motion stemmed from Golden being committed to a mental hospital for 10 days immediately after his 2013 confession to police that he killed several cats. This family rescued this kitten from Golden’s home after his arrest
According to his attorney Lucas Beaty, while Golden was in the hospital a judge deemed him ‘mentally ill’. The judge ruled that Golden was ‘in need of treatment and was unable to make rational and informed decisions’. Pictured is Golden’s home where the dead cats were found
He was arrested after someone tipped off the police about Golden being a kitten killer.
Shortly after his arrest, a family came forward and told authorities that they may have sold two kittens to Golden.
They also told authorities that Golden had been in the process of buying another one, named Tigerlily, from them.
The family claimed they met Golden after placing an ad on Craigslist to find homes for their kittens, according to WHNT.
‘He seemed real nice and talkative and he gave me some updates a couple of days later on how they were doing, what he’d named them,’ she said.
Golden allegedly began his kitten killing spree in July 2013.