Suspect in high profile animal abuse case appears in court

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee(WDEF) – A high profile criminal case against a man accused of killing his ex-wife’s kitten took an interesting turn in court Tuesday morning.

Tyler Puryear, 27, of Ringgold sat in the back of the courtroom with a stern face as he awaited his turn to go before judge Clarence Shattuck. Puryear is facing one count of felony aggravated animal cruelty after police say he purposely shattered the head of his ex-wife’s 8-week old kitten when he threw the animal into a wall.

"This actually happened in in a home setting; a family setting and that was a major concern for us. Again it shows the violence that can be present in a home," said Chattanooga Police Detective Tyrone Williams.

"The family situation is more serious because of the fact that it is in front of children and it really hurts not only the family but the community as well," said McKamey Animal Center Director Jamie McCaloon.

Animal advocates and control officers were also in court to testify. They even brought evidence in the courtroom to help their case against Puryear,  but at the last minute they learned the case was going to be continued until a later date so that Puryear could obtain another defense attorney. Advocates and investigators left the court feeling this was yet another animal cruelty case that was being kicked down the road.

"It’s frustrating for everybody involved but we have to perceiver anyway and it’s important to make sure that we make sure all our resources are there in court and we’re going to go through the hole process all the way," McCaloon said.

"We are not necessarily going to get any more frustrated about it. We’re just going to be steadfast in making sure that we follow through with the prosecution of the case as it carries itself through the court system," Williams said.

If convicted, Puryear would become the second person under a new state law who would be placed on the TBI Animal Abuse Registry.

Puryear’s next court date is February 9.

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CHATTANOOGA,Tennessee(WDEF) – A North Georgia man is facing the possibility of being placed on Tennessee’s animal abuse registry after being accused of purposely shattering a kitten’s head.

Tyler Puryear, 27, of Ringgold was arrested by Hamilton County Sheriff deputies on a warrant for aggravated animal abuse.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by News 12, Puryear committed the crime back on September 30 at a residence in the 5400 block of Towne Hills Lane in Chattanooga.

Puryear’s ex-wife told investigators that her ex-husband came over to the residence uninvited but that she allowed him to stay after they talked. She said he went into a den area to get some sleep and realized there was a litter of kittens in the room. She told police that her ex-husband became angry because her daughter wouldn’t remove the kittens from the room.

According to Puryear’s ex-wife, he grabbed an 8-week old kitten and threw it against a wall.

According to the arrest affidavit, the kitten impacted the wall so hard that it died with obvious blood seeping from the mouth, ears and head.

Mr. Puryear reportedly fled the house before Chattanooga police arrived.

A local veterinarian performed an autopsy on the kitten. The results revealed the kitten died from a shattered skull.

Investigators charged Puryear with aggravated cruelty to animals and noted that he intended to kill the animal.

If convicted, Puryear will likely spend two years on the TBI animal abuse.

When News 12 first reported the story Wednesday morning, TBI officials contacted News 12 and said Puryear won’t be on the list because if he’s convicted because the crime occurred in 2015. Hours after News 12 corrected the story; TBI officials contacted News 12 a second time and said after closely reviewing the law, Puryear will be eligible to be placed on the registry if convicted. According to TBI officials, a felony animal abuse conviction in 2016 on a crime that occurred last year would qualify an offender to be placed on the registry.

The registry went into effect on January 1.

A first time conviction for aggravated animal abuse would land an offender on the registry for two years. A second offense would land an offender on the registry for five years. Tennessee is the only state in the country with an animal abuse registry.

As for Puryear, he’s already out of jail on a $3,000 bond. His next court date is January 26.