Sign: Hold Three Men Who Killed Cats in Trash Compactor Accountable for Cruel Deaths-Prosecuting Attorney Vicki Becker Re-open This Case!

Published: June 16, 2025 at 07:52 PM Author: PENNY EIMS

Elkhart County, Indiana – Three men are responsible for killing two stray cats in an unbelievably cruel and inhumane manner. According to the authorities, Travis McKay, John Lipscomb, and Arlin Hochstetler, former Jayco RV Manufacturing employees, put two live cats in a cardboard box, taped the box closed, and placed the box in a trash compactor, where the “unwanted” felines were crushed to death.

A Middlebury Police Department investigation led to the questioning of the three men; one man admitted to cutting off the toe of a cat whose claw got stuck in a cage, another man said “shelters were full” so eliminating the unwanted felines in a trash compactor seemed like a good idea, another said the “nuisance” cats had to be killed in order to prevent them from coming back.

NONE of the men denied their part in killing these living cats in a truly gruesome manner.

The investigation resulted in the three men each being charged with two counts of torturing an animal, a Level 6 felony, on June 9.

Charges Dropped!!

In a stunning twist, days later, the charges against all three men were dropped due to a so-called “clerical error.” An ABC News report quotes Elkhart County Prosecutor Vicki Elaine Becker attributing the shocking dismissal to a scrivener’s error found in the Probable Cause Affidavit.

From the news source:

The county prosecutor says that the error attributed a statement to Devon Miller as follows:

“Ptl. Yutzy spoke with Devon Miller, the vice president of operations at Jayco, who indicated the men acted in the company’s best interest by placing the live cats into the trash compactor.”

The alleged statement by VP Miller is now being refuted. Now, the prosecutor says there is “no evidence documented in the police investigation to suggest that Mr. Miller endorsed, or approved of, the decisions or the behaviors of the three employees.”

Jayco RV has issued a statement that VP Devon Miller was “misquoted.”

Regardless of the Vice President’s statement, these three men did NOT deny boxing up unwanted cats and killing them in an unimaginable way. These men MUST be held accountable. If you agree that Travis McKay, John Lipscomb, and Arlin Hochstetler need to be charged, please add your name to the petition and help Animal Victory urge the prosecutor to refile the charges.

Read case summaries at the PDF links below.

Case Summary Travis McKay.pdf

Case Summary John Lipscomb.pdf

Case Summary Arlin Hochstetler.pdf

Target: Elkhart County Prosecutor Vicki Elaine Becker

WHY THIS PETITION MATTERS: 

We, the undersigned, demand that Travis McKay, John Lipscomb, and Arlin Hochstetler be held accountable for killing these innocent felines in such a cruel, painful manner. These men’s cruel actions must be met with the harshest consequences to ensure that they can never inflict such horror on an animal again. Dismissing felony torture charges against these men over a “clerical” error is absurd! These unwanted cats were killed in a truly inhumane manner, and the men responsible for their suffering and death must face legal repercussions!

Research has consistently shown a strong link between animal cruelty and human violence. Individuals who commit such heinous acts against animals often pose a threat to society as a whole, as animal abuse is frequently a precursor to other violent crimes. Failing to hold these men accountable not only denies justice to the cats who suffered an excruciating death but also endangers the community at large. We must send a clear message that such cruelty will not be tolerated.

Individuals are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law. Animal Victory relies upon the authorities and the court system to determine guilt or innocence.

Note: A scrivener’s error refers to a clerical or typographical error made by the person preparing a document — typically a legal document, contract, or court opinion — that occurs by accident or oversight. Usually, a scrivener’s error does not reflect the true intent of the parties or the court, and it’s often allowed to be corrected once the error is recognized, as long as the correction doesn’t affect substantial rights.

News:

95.3 MNC

WSBT

WNDU

Update 7/9/2025:

📢 Becker told ABC57: “I am not willing to act contrary to the law simply because it may be the popular thing to do.” Animal Victory States: ⚠️ But that’s exactly why the petition exists — because she’s already acting contrary to the law by refusing to prosecute a clear case of animal cruelty.

Our Attorney Maria Proietti’s letter:. Elkhart Prosecuting Attorney Letter – 7.8.25 _1_ (1)

 

Updated 6/25/2025: We are deeply disappointed in a news release from Prosecutor Vicki Becker. We are appalled by Prosecutor Becker’s statement, indicating that no criminal charges are warranted because the cats “were destroyed in a manner that did not prolong suffering beyond that which is permitted by law.” Her news release states specifically, “These efforts were not successful, and the individuals responsible for resolving the matter made the choice to destroy the cats using a compactor that caused death within a few seconds of the physical injury that was inflicted. Each of the individuals, as well as the business that employed them, were cooperative and honest during the investigation. There was no evidence documented that suggested that any of the three individuals engaged in the behavior with the intent to cause suffering or prolonged physical pain to the cats involved.” Prosecutor Becker states that the individuals were within their rights to crush the live cats because they were, “feral cats that had not only damaged a ceiling structure of the business property where they were captured, but also an item with established and documented value to the business.” 

Please read our letters demanding that the case be reopened.

Animal Victory’s petition and letter  Letter to Vicki Becker Elkhart Prosecuting Attorney.docx

Images via the Meow Mission. Jodi Aker from Meow Mission, along with the protesters, will be holding a vigil for the tortured cats on July 31.

For more information about attending the vigil and or the protests, please email Jodi Aker at jodi@themeowmission.org

Join Facebook’s Justice for Jayco Cats Here

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