Scott Riggleman Trial And Case Update: A 63-year-old man from Texas could potentially face trial after admitting to killing his estranged wife’s dogs and leaving their remains at the church where she worked. The state judge refused to accept a plea deal negotiated with prosecutors, which would have resulted in no prison time for the man.
The plea deal between Scott Riggleman and the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office was rejected by Nineteenth District Court Judge Thomas West. The deal involved Riggleman pleading guilty to two counts of cruelty to non-livestock animals, and the prosecutors recommending a sentence of deferred probation for 10 years. However, Judge West rejected the agreement, and Riggleman now faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the third-degree felonies.
Apart from the animal cruelty charges, Riggleman was initially charged with felony stalking and making a terroristic threat. The stalking charge was not pursued by the prosecutors, while the terroristic threat charge is still pending, according to court records.
In Texas and most other jurisdictions, judges have the authority to reject negotiated plea agreements if they believe the punishment is either too harsh or too lenient for the crime in question. The report did not specify the reason behind Judge West’s refusal to accept the terms of the agreement. Judge West has previously worked as an assistant district attorney and a criminal defense attorney.
Neither Riggleman’s attorney, Sandy Gately, nor McLennan County District Attorney Josh Tetens provided any immediate response or comments on West’s ruling.
According to reports, the incident occurred on December 5, 2022, when deputies from the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call about two dead dogs found in the parking lot of a church on Panther Way. Riggleman’s estranged wife made the call and identified the dogs as Smokey, her black Labrador retriever, and Frankie, her white pit bull mix. She informed investigators that the bodies had been placed in her designated employee parking space.
Upon arrival, first responders discovered the bodies and spoke with Riggleman’s estranged wife. An arrest affidavit stated that a witness, who was taking her daughter to a nearby school, informed officers that she and her husband had come across the dogs. The witness noted that the dogs had been stabbed and shot multiple times in the chest, neck, and flank before being arranged in a display manner in the parking space.
Riggleman’s wife informed authorities that they had separated in September of that year. The day before discovering the dogs’ bodies, she told investigators that Riggleman had visited her workplace and left a note on her car. In the note, he expressed that he would lose his beloved pets due to the separation.
Additionally, she claimed that Riggleman had threatened to harm or kill her, her co-workers, and himself. As a result, he was admitted to a medical facility under an emergency detention order.
The affidavit mentioned that the victim feared for her life and had made statements indicating that she had altered her home and work routines out of fear that Riggleman would harm or kill her. She believed that the dogs were left at her workplace intentionally to frighten her and suggest that she, too, would be a target of violence from the accused.
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