Godfrey woman sentenced for killing family cat, kittens with hammer

Bell Bell Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Godfrey woman sentenced for killing family cat, kittens with hammer 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

EDWARDSVILLE — A Godfrey woman arrested in 2015 for killing the family cat with a hammer and placing it in the freezer was sentenced Friday to two years probation.

Josephine E. Bell, of the 5000 block of W. Victor Drive in Godfrey, told authorities she killed the cat because her grandchildren didn’t clean their rooms. She also allegedly killed the cat’s kittens, though the bodies were never recovered. She was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, for which the law provides a presumption that probation is appropriate.

“The response to children’s behavior is not to kill their pets. The cats are defenseless creatures,” Assistant State’s Attorney Kathleen Nolan argued. “The state concedes that there is a presumption of probation in this case, but this was a violent and brutal act.”

Bell pleaded guilty earlier this year in exchange for the state’s agreement to seek a term of no more than two years in prison.

“I know it was wrong; I just lost it,” Bell said on her own behalf.

She said that, if she were sent to prison, she would lose her job, her house and everything else. She said she has children and grandchildren who depend on her for support.

Bell’s attorney Thomas Gatheman argued that his client suffers from mental health disorders, as well as physical ailments. He noted that she was using an oxygen tube as she appeared in court Friday and that she may have ovarian cancer.

He said that, while Bell admittedly killed the cat and allegedly harmed or killed the kittens, the law does not recognize pets as individuals whose death would warrant a stiffer sentence.

Associate Judge Neil Schroeder noted that Bell has no significant prior criminal record, and he believes she is remorseful for what she did. He said her physical and mental ailments are unlikely to be well treated in prison.

He acknowledged that the crime was “horrific,” but the evidence against Bell was not enough to overcome a presumption of probation, as provided by law.

Police were called to Bell’s residence on the evening of May 18, 2015, by a family member, Madison County Sheriff’s Deputy Capt. Mike Dixon said at the time. Police found Bell’s teen-age granddaughter, who lives at the residence, holding the frozen remains of Zoey, her pet cat, in a bag. The teenager told deputies she had found the cat’s remains in the freezer of the family refrigerator and notified the family member who contacted police.

The deputy asked the teenager, in the presence of Bell, what happened to the cat. Bell interrupted, telling the deputy that she killed the cat, as well as the cat’s four kittens. She told police she threw the bodies of the kittens into the trash, but was unable to properly dispose of the adult cat.

“She appeared to be matter-of-fact about it all, according to officers at the scene,” Dixon said.

She told the deputy that she previously had told her grandchildren that if they didn’t clean their rooms they were going to “lose” all their animals. Bell told the deputy that she didn’t feel like she should have to take care of the cats and had killed them with a hammer.

The Godfrey animal control officer was called to the home and took possession of the deceased cat. Bell was taken into custody by police.

Reach reporter Sanford J. Schmidt at 618-208-6449.