Bell charged with aggravated cruelty to animals after cat found in freezer

Josephine E. Bell, 71, of West Victor Drive in Godfrey was charged today with a felony of aggravated cruelty to animals.

She was transported to the Madison County Jail by sheriff’s deputies after an animal cruelty complaint at 7:03 p.m. on Monday.

The responding deputy met with a teenage occupant of the home, who reportedly found her deceased cat in the family’s freezer. The deputy asked the child in the presence of her grandmother, the above noted Josephine E. Bell, what happened to the cat.

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Bell interrupted telling the deputy that she killed the cat, as well as the cat’s four kittens.

Bell 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 kittens were reportedly thrown away and couldn’t be located by the responding deputy.  

The Godfrey Animal Control Officer was called to the home and took custody of the deceased cat.  Bell was taken into custody and transported to the Madison County Jail, where she was held pending a formal review of facts by the Madison County States Attorney’s Office. The warrant and criminal information was issued by the Honorable Judge Neil Schroeder, who set Bell’s bond at $15,000.00. Bell remains in the custody of the Madison County Jail.