Accused kitten killer sees plea agreement rejected by Pueblo judge

COLORADO -- A man accused of videoing himself torturing and killing a kitten will go to trial.

Robert Heckmann, 25, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges in February, but the judge rejected the deal and set a trial date for June.

Investigators said they found a text conversation on Heckmann's phone boasting about the alleged torture. .

According to the text messages, when drowning didn't kill him, Heckmann allegedly strangled Loki for 10 minutes.

HSPPR Director of Animal Law Enforcement Joe Stafford said the degree of violence made this case one of the "most distressing."

"This type of violence worries me. We’ve seen many cases in which those convicted of animal cruelty go on to commit other acts of violence, such as domestic violence, child abuse or elder abuse."

(KKTV - Mar 24, 2014)

Earlier:

• Man Accused Of Filming Torture And Murder Of Kitten