Tarrant County Prosecutor Riley Shaw Set to Announce Civil Suit against Ten-Year-Old Boy Accused of Beating Neighbor's Dog to Death

    FORT WORTH, TX, June 17, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- "Cookie," a Cavalier mix owned by Jennifer Knittel, was found dead on a neighbor's porch. According to Dallas/Fort worth Police, a 10-year-old boy entered Jennifer Knittel's backyard and chased Cookie out with a stick he picked up in the yard, eventually cornering him on a neighbor's porch and then crushing his skull and severing his spine as he beat him to death. The owner is asking for an immediate public outcry to make sure the family and the boy get the help they need, so justice is served for Cookie.

Knittel has heard from Riley Shaw, the Tarrant County Juvenile Division Prosecutor handling the case. She has learned that Tarrant County plans to file a civil case against the boy, requesting, as required under state law, a conviction for the animal cruelty/torture juvenile felony. It's not clear whether the boy could get detention and required counseling and psychiatric reviews as part of any adjudication under state law.

"When Jennifer asked Riley Shaw the most likely outcome of the case, he told her that the boy would probably get probation," said Ron Sturgeon, a commercial real estate developer who employs Knittel as an operations manager. The boy's parents have hired a Dallas attorney, who has blocked an attempt by Shaw to have the boy submit to a psychological exam.

"This child needs help and he won't get it unless the state holds him accountable and insists that he be evaluated," said Sturgeon.

One eyewitness saw the boy taunting the dog under a car, and another saw him chasing the dog, and returned to find the boy standing over the dead dog with the stick in hand. The boy told the witness that the dog was "asleep." The police report number is 150043941.

The parents sent an apology letter that was a joke. The child admitted to investigators that he killed the dog, saying he was "angry". The letter has been posted on the blog of the local CBS station at https://cbsdallas.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/apology-letter-from-boys-parents-051315.jpg

The story of Cookie's death has attracted national press attention and been shared more than 70,000 times on Facebook. The dog's owner, Jennifer Knittel, has asked supporters of Justice for Cookie to call Riley Shaw's office at 817-838-4613 or e-mail him at [email protected] before Thursday.

Supporters can leave their email address at www.spoiledcavaliers.com/justiceforcookie to receive updates and notifications about public hearings as the case proceeds.

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