~ Update: February 15, 2023
The McCracken County Sheriff’s Office posted an update on the case and advised that “After receiving further evidence from the necropsy, Latavious Frazier’s original misdemeanor charge of Cruelty to Animals was amended to a Class “D” felony Torture of a Dog. Frazier is now charged with two felonies, Tampering with Physical Evidence and Torture of a Dog.”
The McCracken County Sheriff’s Office tells me the dog’s name “was Delilah and she was a Shepard mix, approximately 10 months old.”
Her pictures have been added to the gallery below.
~ Update: February 1, 2023
I had emailed Chief Deputy Ryan Willcutt and requested additional information about the furvictim but in an email he said, “Unfortunately no, I will not be able to disclose that information or provide photographs. This is an active criminal investigation at this time.”
On Wednesday, January 25, 2023, the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office arrested 21-years-old LATAVIOUS D. FRAZIER (pictured), of Paducah, accused of dragging and kicking a dog who was later found lifeless.
In a news release, the sheriff’s office explained that weeks prior to FRAZIER’s arrest, local law enforcement received approximately six phone calls “regarding a male dragging a dog by a leash and grabbing her by her scruff, causing her to cry. It was also alleged that the male was kicking the dog. Law enforcement had been unable to locate the man after receiving the calls even though they spent considerable time searching.”
Authorities caught a break on Wednesday, January 25, when on the afternoon, two City of Paducah employees saw the male (later identified as FRAZIER), on South 31st Street in Paducah. WPSD identified the two employees as Jarried Griffin and Steven Cheswick.
According to the two witnesses, FRAZIER was dragging a dog who did not appear to be moving. The witnesses then attempted to stop FRAZIER but he “lifted the dog by the leash and then continued to drag to the dog,” stated the release.
After Griffin and Cheswick called 911, the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office along with the Paducah Police Department and McCracken County Animal Control responded to the area.
Animal Control located FRAZIER inside an apartment building on Jefferson Street while Paducah Police located the dog, deceased, hidden behind appliances. As indicated in the release, “It was also learned that Frazier was squatting in the basement of the apartment building.”
Deputy Lindsey Miller, a trained animal abuse investigator with the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office, arrested FRAZIER for animal cruelty 2nd Degree. FRAZIER then booked into the McCracken County Jail.
While in custody, the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office served him with an arrest warrant for tampering with physical evidence, a Class D Felony. The sheriff’s office said this arrest warrant was the result of a consultation with prosecutors.
Right now, in the state of Kentucky the torture of a cat or dog is a class A misdemeanor for the first offense and a class D felony for each offense after that, meaning the animal abuser can spend up to five years behind bars IF convicted.
However, for now, FRAZIER is only charged with second-degree cruelty to animals and McCracken County Sheriff Ryan Norman explained why to WPSD.
“We have to charge based on what we know and what we can prove. Prosecutors have an ethical duty to only charge with what they believe will lead to a conviction,” he said.
The case is still being investigated to get more evidence specifically concerning the dog’s death.
McCracken County Attorney Cade Foster told WPSD his office is making sure that all facts are known and in place for the investigation. That means holding off on possible additional charges until all the missing pieces have been produced. “Looking at the injuries to the animal, talking with the veterinarian's office to determine if the cause of death was what the individual did to it or if it's a natural cause. We just don't know at this point,” explained Foster.
Online records list two court dates for FRAZIER. The first one is scheduled for Tuesday, January 31, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. The second one is slated to take place on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, at 7:13 a.m.
I have emailed McCracken County Sheriff Ryan Norman and requested additional information about the VOICELESS VICTIM. If I get a response, I will post an update.
Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from official news outlets. Links included.
Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.
