05/27/2026
This just happened in the next county over from us! Absolutely disturbing! Hopefully they make an example out of him.
WARNING ‼️ GRAPHIC POST
Man facing animal cruelty charges after killing his dog
Kathy Barnes Reporter 2 hrs ago
COCKE COUNTY — A man has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals after he allegedly killed his dog, skinned it and told a deputy that he intended to eat it. Eddie Kyris McCoig, II, age 45, was taken into custody on Wednesday evening.
According to a Cocke County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) report, Dep. Trevor Starnes responded to a call in which the caller alleged a man had intentionally killed a dog. Starnes went to an address off Old Highway 411, and found a locked gate.
The deputy then traveled to the address of the caller in Newport.
According to the report, Mercedes Tinsley advised the deputy that Eddie McCoig had killed his dog, skinned it and put it in a cooler near his home. She described McCoig as having a green mohawk.
The deputy then returned to the Old Highway 411 address, and after honking the air horn on his marked patrol car, a man matching the description he had been given of McCoig came to the gate.
Dep. Starnes reported that he told McCoig that he was there to investigate the alleged killing of a dog. The man confirmed to the deputy that he was indeed McCoig.
“Eddie stated (he did shoot his dog, slit its throat, skin it and was going to eat it),” the report stated.
The deputy said he then placed McCoig in custody and advised him of his Miranda rights, but McCoig agreed to continue to talk to him. He reported that McCoig gave him consent to unlock the gate and go to a red cooler where the dog’s remains were located.
Dep. Starnes took McCoig from the patrol car and they made their way toward the residence. McCoig then pointed to where the red cooler was, which held the dog’s remains.
The report indicates the deputy saw the remains of a large breed dog that had been skinned and cut up, with the dog’s paws clearly visible inside a red cooler.
McCoig was transported to the Old Cocke County Jail where he was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals.
Dep. Steve Revill of Animal Control was contacted and went to the Old Highway 411 address. He and Dep. Starnes bagged the remains of the dog that had been intentionally killed. Dep. Revill put the remains in a cooler at the county kennel.
Three more dogs were taken into custody from the residence, but the deputies were unable to catch the mother dog that was on the property, according to the report. However the mother dog was later captured.
“We are deeply disturbed by a recent case of animal cruelty so egregious that it demands the strongest possible response from our justice system. We are screaming for (District Attorney General) Jimmy Dunn and our prosecutor’s office to bring justice for these innocent animals at the hands of this monster,” said Smoky Mountain Humane Society President Ali Chiaradio.
“In this horrifying incident, this was not mere neglect — it was deliberate, sadistic cruelty inflicted upon a defenseless creature who depended on human compassion. Such acts shock the conscience and reflect a profound moral failing that cannot be tolerated in our community,” she added.
“Animals cannot speak for themselves or advocate in a courtroom. They are the ultimate innocent victims. When cases like this occur, it is the duty of law enforcement and prosecutors to serve as their voice and ensure full accountability,” Chiaradio continued.
“We respectfully urge the prosecutors handling this matter and push for the maximum charges and penalties available under Tennessee law,” she concluded.
INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN THE COURT OF LAW
