Bond denied for Lexington, SC man accused in feral cat caretaker’s shooting death
A South Carolina judge denied bond Friday to the suspect who police say fatally shot a rival caretaker of feral cats.
The judge at Lexington County Detention Center kept 49-year-old Sean Malahy jailed after a 3 p.m. bond hearing, records show.
Malahy is charged with murder and weapon possession in a fight over a group of cats, police said.
Lexington police said Malahy and 72-year-old Judy Burnett of Gilbert argued and physically fought in an altercation behind a West Main Street shopping center about taking care of a feral cat colony and a kitten. Malahy pulled out a handgun and shot Burnett in the face, police said.
After an investigation, detectives said they discovered that Malahy and Burnett both took care of feral cats in Lexington County and had a years-long dispute about the cats’ care.
It is common for a bond court judge to deny bond for a person charged with murder. Malahy will likely have another bond hearing in county court.
If guilty, Malahy could be sentenced to thirty years imprisonment with the murder charge and an additional five years for the weapon possession offense.