Police: Suspects stole piglets, killed all of them Charges allege one was thrown from an overpass

Four Franklin County residents are accused of stealing about 30 baby pigs and destroying them in multiple ways, including throwing one off an overpass and beating others to death with a rake.

Franklin County Sheriff Don Jones says deputies have made four arrests following a theft of three litters of piglets, all of them about five to seven days old, that occurred Oct. 1 at the Logan Sow Center in rural Logan.

Charges allege the torture and killing of the piglets, including throwing at least one off an overpass, as well as the "kicking, beating and striking" of the remaining piglets with a rake until they died.

Two of those arrested, 15-year-old and 17-year-old boys from West Frankfort, have been released to their parents.

Also arrested were Trenton H. Bennett, 18, of West Frankfort; and Brenden A. Shaputis, 20, of Ewing. All four have been charged with felony theft and animal torture.

Bennett and Shaputis are being held in the Franklin County Jail in lieu of $45,000 bond.<object id="Extra Pictures" type="x-im/image" uuid="842CFB00-0A3B-4283-8B4F-A433721495B5"><links><link rel="self" type="x-im/image" uri="im://image/842CFB00-0A3B-4283-8B4F-A433721495B5.jpg" uuid="842CFB00-0A3B-4283-8B4F-A433721495B5"><data><title><![CDATA[