Cape man charged with stabbing, killing dog for revenge

An 18-year-old Cape Girardeau man faces charges of felony animal abuse, stealing and first-degree harassment after he took a dog and stabbed it 11 times, killing the animal, prosecutors said.

Andrew Nipper was charged Wednesday in connection with the May 19 incident, Cape Girardeau County prosecutor Chris Limbaugh said in a news release.

Nipper was taken into custody, Limbaugh said Wednesday in the release. Judge Michael Gardner set bond for Nipper at $25,000, cash only.

Katlynn Biggerstaff said she put her black, female dog on a leash outside her apartment at 442 S. Spring Ave. around 4:30 p.m. on May 19, police detective Jerry Franks said in a probable-cause statement.

A short time later, she discovered the dog was missing. At 9:30 p.m., there was a knock on the apartment door. When the door was opened, a black trash bag was found on the front step. Biggerstaff's dog was found deceased inside the bag, according to the statement.

Biggerstaff told police she believed Nipper, an ex-boyfriend of a friend, killed the dog.

Franks wrote that Biggerstaff said Nipper had been "stalking" the woman and had tried to strike her with his vehicle while the two women were downtown at the Mississippi River wall.

Biggerstaff said she reported the incident to police and, when contacted by Nipper, informed him of her actions, according to Franks.

"Ms. Biggerstaff stated she believes that Nipper killed her dog as a way to intimidate and retaliate against her for calling the police on him. She stated the death of her dog has caused her emotional distress," Franks said.

Biggerstaff said she later sent Nipper a message on "Snapchat," inquiring about his knowledge or involvement with her dog's death; Nipper denied any involvement but stated it sounded like she was having a 'ruff' day, according to the probable-cause statement.

On May 20, Nipper was arrested in connection with another incident.

On May 21, police received an anonymous tip Nipper had been in possession of the dog. The tip included a "selfie" photo Nipper apparently took with his own cellphone and sent to another person. The photo was taken while Nipper, wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt, was in his vehicle with the dog, Franks said.

Nipper claimed he was at a friend's residence at the time the dog was stolen and killed, but the friend told police he was not with Nipper on May 19.

Police searched Nipper's residence, finding a roll of black trash bags similar to the one the dog was found in, and a hooded sweatshirt resembling the one in the photo.

On May 24, police spotted Nipper's mother driving his vehicle. The vehicle was impounded. Several black hairs, similar to hairs recovered from the dog, were found in the "back seat area" of the vehicle, Franks said.

On June 4, Nipper's attorney turned over his client's cellphone. A "forensic download" of the phone showed the same digital photo that had been shared by the tipster, according to the probable-cause statement.

A timestamp on the image showed it had been taken shortly before the dog was left in a bag in front of Biggerstaff's apartment door.

Police also found the cellphone had been used to search online on the topic of killing a dog.

Limbaugh, the prosecutor, said Nipper, if convicted, could be sentenced to four years in prison on each of the felony charges.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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