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Kokomo woman sentenced to 30 months in animal crushing case

Krystal Cherika Scott was accused of killing five dogs, five cats and 11 unborn kittens and posting videos of it on social media.

KOKOMO, Ind. — NOTE: The above video is from a report at the time of Scott's arrest in July 2020.

Krystal Cherika Scott accepted a plea deal Wednesday on two counts of animal crushing. She was sentenced 30 months in prison and given five years supervised release. She was also ordered to not have any pets during the length of her supervised release. Scott had asked the judge for permission to see her dog after she was released from prison. The probation department will have to petition to have the motion changed upon her release.

Scott had faced up to seven years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on each of the charges.

The sentencing memo reads in part: 

Ms. Scott's crimes were intentional, deliberate act of sadistic cruelty that spanned at least several months, and included the intentional killing and torture of multiple animals as well as the uploading of numerous videos on social media.

For months, animal advocates and internet sleuths across the country saw the gruesome videos and images shared on several social media platforms and knew they had to do something. Their efforts finally lead authorities to Scott's home in July 2020.

Credit: WTHR/Mary Milz

RELATED: Woman accused in animal torture told agents her 'good side loves cats and dogs'

According to the PC, Scott admitted to torturing and killing animals, telling agents, her "good side loves cats and dogs but her bad side tells her to commit acts of animal cruelty."

Scott allegedly used many aliases on social media to look for people trying to find good homes for pets they had to give up.

The Boise (Idaho) Police Department got involved after hearing from concerned residents there, thinking at the time the person behind the videos lived in Idaho. Court documents say on June 18, 2020, Boise Police prepared a search warrant for several Instagram accounts, one with the message "I'll be killing a pregnant Siamese and a kitten later on today."

The probable cause affidavit said, on that same day, someone brought a Siamese cat, a gray kitten and black kitten to Scott's home. An hour after the cats were dropped off, Scott posted a video of "hanging and strangling a grey kitten" with the comment, "Little s___ was still alive so rehanged it.”

Court documents indicate Scott crushed five dogs, five cats and 11 unborn kittens in total.

As part of her sentencing, the state of Indiana is asking for Scott to undergo a mental health evaluation prior to release.

Prosecutors included notes in the sentencing memo that there was a lack of remorse from Scott, citing a May 2021 incident in the Hamilton County Jail, where Scott allegedly brought a moth in from outside and crushed it with her hands in front of her cellmate.

Local investigation

Kokomo police were called twice to Scott's home on reports of animal cruelty. 

On May 3, 2020, Scott consented to a search and provided two cellphones to officers. The PC said "Scott chose which phone to give the officers and they did not search Scott or Scott's residence for devices."

But the police report filed indicates they "seized multiple deceased animals and body parts," including "two cats in Scott's freezer," one cat skinned. 

Police also seized a glass jar with an unidentified animal.

Scott told police the animals were dead when she got them. Police were unable to find information linking Scott to the alleged crimes.

Unaware of the FBI investigation, Kokomo police were called to Scott's home nearly two months later, on June 26, 2020, on another complaint of animal cruelty. The ASPCA contacted a man saying they believed a pregnant cat he gave to Scott may have been tortured.

According to charging documents, Scott denied ever having the cat. Officers saw 12 cats and asked for Scott's mother's cellphone, which she provided, but officers did not seize any other devices or computers, nor did they search for evidence of the June 18 strangulation video "because they were unaware of it."

Court documents say after Scott was arrested, she admitted to using aliases, avoided showing her face in videos and images to thwart efforts to identify her, and said she purposely gave Kokomo police a cell phone she knew had no evidence while hiding the phone she used when she saw FBI agents arrive. 

Federal agents recovered three dogs, 12 cats and several reptiles from Scott's home, none of which showed obvious signs of abuse.  

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