A Florida nurse is accused of killing her neighbor’s two cats and a pregnant dog after allegedly threatening the animals, WESH-TV reports.
Authorities say the investigation started in August, when a couple’s two cats died within hours of each other.
The cats, named Pancake and Luna, had experienced similar symptoms leading up to their deaths, including difficulty breathing, choking and foaming at the mouth. Several hours later, the couple found their pregnant Chihuahua named Daisy dead. The unborn puppies had also perished.
The victims reported to police that their neighbor, 51-year-old Tamesha Knighten, had repeatedly threatened to poison the animals if they entered her yard.
Knighten told investigators that she had placed ant bait near her air conditioner to prevent ants from entering her residence.
But detectives also found a white foam bowl in the victims’ yard with what looked like a meat-like substance mixed with dark material. Knighten initially told police she did not own any white foam bowls, but officers found some in her pantry. Investigators also discovered Knighten had canned chicken.
Video cameras in Knighten’s yard showed her wearing a glove and holding a white foam bowl. When asked about the footage, Knighten said the bowl contained a “special seasoning” to “feed animals in the area,” according to a press release from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Tests at universities determined the bowl contained the highly toxic pesticide phorate, which matched tissue samples taken from the pets, WFTS-TV reports. No ant bait was found in the cats and dog.
Knighten faces three counts of felony animal cruelty and one count of depositing poison in a public area.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd questioned how Knighten, a licensed nurse, could be so cruel.
“This suspect, despite all evidence to the contrary, repeatedly denied killing her neighbor’s pets, even telling our detectives that she’s a nurse and had too much to lose,” Judd said, according to WWSB-TV.
“Well guess what? These people lost their beloved pets in a most horrific way and she lost her freedom by going to jail. It takes a cold-hearted person to poison and kill two cats and a pregnant dog. It’s hard to imagine how a person in the medical field could do such a thing.”
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[Feature Photo: Tamesha Knighten/Polk County Sheriff’s Office]
