A 31-year-old Elk City man has been released from jail after being charged with animal cruelty.
The investigation began on July 16 when an Elk City Police Department detective received information that Austin Lankister confessed to killing his pet after hitting it with his fists.
The information reportedly came from probation officer who claimed Lankister had confessed this alleged crime to him on July 9.
On July 16, the probation officer, the detective, and an assisting ECPD officer did a probation check on Lankister’s residence.
The detective asked Lankister about his dog.
Lankister allegedly admitted to becoming upset when the dog urinated on his couch. Lankister allegedly said he was intoxicated at the time.
Lankister allegedly admitted to being angry and grabbing the one-year-old pit bull by the neck.
Lankister then allegedly claimed that the dog snapped at him, which Lankister reportedly stated prompted him to beat the dog.
Lankister then reportedly left the home. When he returned, he said the dog was deceased.
