SALISBURY, Md. - A Salisbury man has been convicted on animal cruelty charges for abusing and killing a kitten.
Prosecutors said Monday that on Sept. 1, Christopher Truitt, 26, was convicted of one count of felony animal cruelty and two counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty. Truitt was found guilty following trial and sentenced to 180 days in jail with all but 60 days suspended to be served on house arrest. Truitt was also placed on three years of supervised probation and given a $300 fine. As a special condition of his sentence, Truitt will be prohibited from owning, possessing or residing with animals for a period of five years.
On Dec. 16, 2021, the Wicomico County Humane Society received a complaint of an abandoned box located on Dixon Road with a deceased kitten inside. Director Kim Nock responded and discovered Ember, a black 6-month-old cat, inside the box. Ember had recently been adopted from the Worcester County Humane Society by Truitt and was identified by her pet microchip.
A necropsy performed by the Wicomico Humane Society revealed Ember’s cause of death to be both blunt force trauma and strangulation.
The Wicomico Sheriff’s office conducted an extensive investigation and identified Truitt as the person who caused the injuries and ultimately killed Ember.