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MURRAY — A Murray man suspected of injuring — and possibly killing — his former girlfriend's cat 2½ years ago is now facing criminal charges.
Shaun Andrew Snarr, 35, was charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with torture of a companion animal, a third-degree felony; violation of a protective order, a class A misdemeanor; and possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor.
On July 23, 2022, a former girlfriend of Snarr who was in town asked if she could stay with him, according to charging documents. Later that day, police were called to his apartment on a report of an injured cat.
The woman told officers that she and Snarr "had an argument during which (Snarr) picked up a cat and threw it repeatedly against the wall. Eva reported that the cat sounded like it was in pain and that there was blood on the floor," according to charging documents. Police described the animal as a "a small white and tan cat."
Snarr then took the cat and ran out of his apartment toward a dumpster, "came back without the cat, grabbed the cat food and litter box, and ran back outside. Officers located the litter box and cat food in the dumpster but were unable to locate the cat," the charges state.
Snarr was arrested and later released from the Salt Lake County Jail on condition he have no contact with the woman. But on July 26, 2022, he sent her several messages via Snapchat "regarding what he had done to the cat," according to the charges.
The cat was never found. Court documents do not state why it took more than two years for charges to be filed.
