Published: April 06, 2009 06:56 am      

Alleged dog killer indicted on assault, torture of dog

A Richmond man was indicted Thursday on four felony charges, including first-degree assault for allegedly beating his wife with a lamp and torture of a dog for stabbing it to death.

Samuel Vorhees, 39, was indicted by a Madison County grand jury on first-degree assault, torture of a dog, theft by failure to make required disposition of property and theft by deception charges as well as a misdemeanor violation of a domestic violence order.

Vorhees is accused of attacking his wife with a large wooden lamp during a Feb. 5 argument at their home in the 400 block of Big Hill Avenue, breaking her left arm and bruising her right arm and back, according to testimony from Richmond Police Department officers during a Feb. 18 preliminary hearing in Madison District Court.

He also broke a big-screen television during the argument, police said.

The torture of a dog charge stems from Vorhees allegedly returning to the home after the fight and killing his wife’s dog by stabbing it with a knife.

Police seized the knife believed to have been used in the attack when they arrested Vorhees on Feb. 6 at an apartment complex near his home. The knife had a substance believed to be blood on it when it was seized, police said.

The theft charges are the result of Vorhees allegedly selling and pawning a lawn mower and garden tiller valued at $2,400 that were loaned to him by his father-in-law to the owner of Wade’s Pawn on two separate occasions.

Vorhees allegedly told Wade Brock that he owned the equipment before selling the mower and pawning the tiller in January and February, the indictment states.

The theft charges and the torture of a dog charge are all Class D felonies punishable by up to five years in prison each, while first-degree assault is a Class B felony punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Vorhees is set to be arraigned at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, April 16, in Madison Circuit Court before Judge Jean C. Logue.



Other indictments

• Two Richmond men and a Berea woman were indicted on drug possession charges.

Jason Osborne, 29, and David Long, 24, both of the 100 block of Manna Drive, Richmond, and Amber Young, 19, of the 600 block of Jefferson Street, Berea, were indicted on first-degree possession of a controlled substance, a Class D felony, and misdemeanor charges of second-degree possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia for having methamphetamine, hydrocodone and a set of scales, the indictment states.

Osborne also was indicted on a Class C felony charge of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, which carries a penalty of five to 10 years in prison if convicted.

The other charges carry penalties of up to five years in prison for the felony and up to a year in jail for each of the misdemeanors. (RPD)

• Kristin Muncie, 27, of the 100 block of McIntosh Drive, Richmond, was indicted on a felony charge of first-degree possession of cocaine and misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a suspended license.

If convicted, she could receive up to five years in prison for the felony charge, up to a year in jail for the paraphernalia charge and up to six months in jail for the suspended license charge. (MCSO)

• James Eric Short, 22, of Brooks Road, Richmond, was indicted on a felony charge of first-degree possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor charges of third-degree possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing oxycodone and alprazolam as well as a hollow pen tube, the indictment states.

If convicted, he could receive up to five years in prison for the felony charge and a year in jail for each of the misdemeanor charges. (RPD)

• Shawna R. Estes, 26, of Irvine, was indicted on a felony charge of theft by unlawful taking for allegedly taking more than $300 in merchandise from Kohl’s.

If convicted, she could receive up to five years in prison. (MCDC)

An indictment is a formal statement of charges and does not imply guilt.



Brian Smith may be reached at bsmith@richmondregister.com or at 624-6694.