Charges tossed in case of dead kittens in Clare County

MICHIGAN -- The case against a Harrison man charged in connection with a litter of burned kittens has been dropped, but the Clare County prosecutor has asked deputies to continue investigating.

Richard L. Bancroft, 60, was charged with one count of killing or torturing animals earlier this summer.

After a recent preliminary hearing in the case, the Clare County District Court ruled there was insufficient evidence in the case, according a media release from the Clare County Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutors called two witnesses and their testimony conflicted, and the judge found there was no evidence to show that Bancroft started the fire or that he burned the kittens.

The prosecutor has requested the Clare County Sheriff’s Office to continue the investigation and to interview several witnesses identified during the preliminary examination.

“This was a heinous offense and the perpetrator must be found, apprehended and be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” the release stated.

The incident was reported to deputies on July 3 by the owner of five kittens and one cat who said she found her kittens burned in a pile. The owner told investigators that she could not find her other cat at the time of the report, and it was later found deceased.

(Midland Daily News - Sept 4, 2015)

Earlier:

• Richard Bancroft arrested after allegedly setting kittens on fire, breaking cat’s neck