A Bonita Springs man convicted of animal cruelty and stalking got the maximum prison sentence, 20 years, after he severed cats’ heads.
Robert James Luther III, 38, in May was convicted of two counts of animal cruelty and two counts of aggravated stalking in a case that involved the mutilation of cats. A jury convicted him in a three-day trial in Lee County.
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, on March 13, 2025, sheriff’s deputies responded to a home on Carnoustie Court, in Bonita Springs, in reference to reports of a box that sat on a mailbox and contained severed cat heads.
The box was wet and smelled like gasoline, according to prosecutors. Authorities learned the victim in a stalking case found a box with the severed heads of two cats on top of their mailbox and called law enforcement.
The victim said Luther had threatened him and his wife for more than a year.
Using license plate readers, among other tools at their disposal, authorities established Luther was in the area where the crime happened around the same time.
Later that day, authorities found Luther fishing near Corporation Circle behind a closed business, the sheriff’s office said. Authorities attempted to interview him about the suspicious behavior.
The sheriff’s office said several search warrants, including a DNA search warrant, led to disturbing cellphone videos where Luther made mention of and depicted the slain cats.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@usatodayco.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Bluesky @tomasfrodriguez.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Bonita Springs man sentenced in animal cruelty, stalking case
Reporting by Tomas Rodriguez, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
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By Tomas Rodriguez, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
