He thought his cat was going to kill him. Now, Leavenworth man faces jail time
A 39-year-old Leavenworth man has been sentenced to 12 months in jail after being convicted of animal cruelty.
Craig Hendricks admitted to killing his cat by placing the animal’s head in the doorway and slamming it shut on purpose, according to the Leavenworth County Attorney, Todd Thompson, in a press release. Hendricks claimed the cat was trying to kill him, according to the press release.
Hendricks was sentenced on June 18 for the incident which happened in December 2023, authorities said.
Following the killing, Hendricks handed an officer a box with the deceased cat inside, after having reportedly stored it in his freezer, according to the press release.
This case was delayed due to concerns about Hendricks’ mental competency to stand trial, the press release said.
Hendricks declined to participate in the assesment process in February 2024, according to Kansas court documents. He was then placed into the State Security Hopsital at Larned, Kansas, in March 2024 to be evaluated. Initially, Hendricks was supposed to stay 60 days, but he stayed until April 2025, according to court documents.
Ultimately, it was determined that Hendricks understood his crime and was able to defend himself in court. He pled no contest to the charge of animal cruelty.
Hendricks graduated from the University of Kansas in 2011 and was a computer technician for Geeks on Guard, according to his LinkedIn.
Before the incident, he had a history of driving under the influence, according to Kansas court records. He was charged with driving under the influence for the first time in 2011. The second time was in 2019, when he was also charged with the possession of opiate, opium, narcotic, or certain stimulants.
In 2018, Hendricks filed a complaint to the United States Court of Federal Claims alleging that his rights were being violated. A “top secret Air Force computer system” invaded his privacy, stole his thoughts, and would respond to requests from his step-uncle, according to one of his complaints, said federal court records.
He sought $100,000,000 in damages, but the government dismissed the complaint, stating the claim wasn’t within the subject matter jurisdiction of the United States Court of Federal Claims, stated the records.
This story was originally published June 20, 2025 at 4:53 PM.
