A trial date has been set for a former lead pastor from West Memphis, Arkansas, facing serious allegations of animal cruelty. Father Charles Thessing, 63, stands accused of charges relating to the killing of two cats. The trial is scheduled from May 19 through May 22, according to reports from both Action News 5 and FOX13 Memphis.
After his arrest in February, Thessing's actions, who served as a pastor at St. Michael Catholic Church in West Memphis and Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Crawfordsville, spurred the Diocese of Little Rock to suspend him, as reported by Action News 5. The West Memphis Police Department has remained largely silent on the specifics of the case, citing an ongoing investigation, which included the discovery of animal traps and two deceased cats that seemed to have been drowned in a tank of water on Thessing's property.
Denying the allegations against him, Thessing entered a not-guilty plea before the court. As per WREG, a video triggered the inquiry on February 7 that eventually led to a search warrant and subsequent findings at Thessing's residence. Before his suspended status, the disgraced pastor was listed as leading St. Michael Church on a church website.
Surrounded by continued intrigue and media attempts at communication, Thessing, waiting for the truck door to unlock, uttered, "No comment. Please leave me alone," in response to being questioned by WREG. This cold dismissal came after a previous encounter outside of court, where Thessing, who had addressed the judge in English during proceedings, told reporters, “No hablo inglés” when approached for a statement.
Ahead of the upcoming legal battle, a plea hearing is set for April 30, where Thessing might lay the groundwork for his defense. His plea hearing will be closely monitored as the community awaits more developments in a case that has cast a grim shadow over the local clergy.
