By Foster Nicholas | Editor-in-Chief
Former Baylor student James Barnes, a 22-year-old management graduate, was arrested and charged with a third-degree felony of cruelty to a non-livestock animal Friday after killing two cats with a pellet gun and recording himself throwing the cats over a hanging utility line, an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by KWTX states.
“Baylor University is aware that a former Baylor student has turned himself in to the Waco Police Department — taking responsibility for a situation the University maintains is abhorrent and does not reflect Baylor’s Christian values,” Baylor University wrote in a statement emailed to the Baylor Lariat. “We can confirm the individual graduated on May 17, and any other questions regarding the individual should be directed to the Waco Police Department.”
The statement further includes that “the Baylor Department of Public Safety and Division of Student Life are both being kept abreast of developments in this situation and are supportive of the investigation by the Waco Police Department.”
On May 20, Waco Animal Control received a call about two dead cats hanging from telephone wires. They were found in the 1700 block of S. 9th St. near Bagby Avenue. An arrest warrant acquired by KWTX states the cats were found tied with a piece of string with a shoe attached to one end.
“The cats were removed and an autopsy revealed that both cats had been shot in the head prior to being tied to the shoe and thrown over the line,” police wrote in the warrant obtained by KWTX.
Barnes was a member of the Kappa Omega Tau fraternity at Baylor. The warrant obtained by KWTX states a detective spoke with two members of KOT, who both alleged Barnes killed the cats with a pellet gun. The fraternity has since gone private on Instagram.
“After he had killed the cats, he brought them to a house located on S. 9th and [Barnes] and another person recorded each other repeatedly trying to throw the cats over the lines until they finally were successful,” the detective wrote in the warrant.
Barnes is being held at the McLennan County Jail on a $20,000 bond. In Texas, a third-degree felony of this nature is designated by torturing, killing or causing serious injury to an animal in a cruel manner. It is punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a maximum $10,000 fine.
