Therapy Pig Murder Sparks Outrage After One-Night Sentence

Animal rights advocates are expressing dismay after two Maui men received just one night in jail for killing a beloved therapy pig named Eddie in an elaborate scheme to fraudulently win a $1,000 hunting competition. Jayden Jarnesky-Magana, 19, and Krys-Ryan Saito Carino, 20, pleaded no contest to charges of first-degree animal cruelty, theft of livestock, and criminal property damage – crimes that could have resulted in up to 10 years imprisonment.

Despite the severity of the charges and approximately three dozen protesters gathered outside the Wailuku courthouse demanding justice, Circuit Court Judge Kirstin Hamman opted for a sentence focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment, according to Newsweek.

A Calculated Act of Cruelty

Court documents detail how the defendants cut through fencing at Kitty Charm Farm in Haiku on May 11, 2024, to access Eddie’s enclosure. The 250-pound neutered pig, who had been rescued years earlier after suspected abuse as hunting dog bait, was stolen, killed, and then entered into a local feral pig hunting competition.

The men went to extraordinary lengths to create the illusion of a legitimate hunt, filming themselves pretending to pursue Eddie with hunting dogs before killing him, gutting him, and hanging his carcass from a tree. They later posted this footage on Instagram in what the victim described as a “homemade rap music video” celebrating their actions.

“This wasn’t an innocent mistake, this wasn’t confusion about the law. This was a planned attack on my pet,” Eddie’s owner Sarah Haynes told New York Post. “Eddie’s killing was a premeditated intentional crime and the criminals deserve jail time now. They had ropes, wire cutters and an illegal gun. They trespassed on private property and cut our fence.”

From Rescue to Tragedy

What makes the case particularly heartbreaking is Eddie’s history. Haynes had adopted him after he was found wandering in Kihei bearing signs of previous abuse, including scars and rope burns that suggested he had been used to train hunting dogs. At Kitty Charm Farm, he had transformed into a therapy animal who brought joy to many visitors, especially children.

“Eddie was super friendly,” Haynes explained. “Little kids could hug him, you know, he’d sit. You could get him to bark like a dog. I mean, he was just the most adorable, sweet, gentle soul.”

She described him as a “gentle giant” who was “taught to trust humans and turned out to be such a sweet pig, providing comfort to so many Sanctuary visitors. He was my treasured pet.” During the sentencing hearing, Haynes cried as she told the court, “Children could hug him. We swam in his pool with him. He was my treasured pet, a therapy pet to many.”

How Social Media Exposed The Fraud

Ironically, the perpetrators’ own desire for social media acclaim contributed to their downfall. After winning the $1,000 prize for the “biggest pig” in the competition, suspicions arose among legitimate hunters who noted Eddie’s unusual characteristics – he was neutered, unusually clean, and significantly larger than typical wild pigs.

When Haynes posted about her missing pet on social media, these hunters connected the dots and alerted her to the suspicious competition entry. Soon, she was receiving disturbing videos and images directly from the perpetrators’ social media accounts.

“And it was just video after picture after video of Eddie getting attacked, and they posted everything on Instagram of what they did,” Haynes recounted. The digital evidence proved instrumental in building the case against Jarnesky-Magana and Saito Carino, according to People.

A Case of Divided Community Sentiment

The sentencing hearing revealed a community divided on the appropriate consequences for the young offenders. While animal welfare advocates demanded significant jail time, others submitted character references emphasizing the defendants’ youth and potential for rehabilitation.

Jarnesky-Magana was visibly emotional during the proceeding, crying as his attorney Wendy Hudson read a prepared statement: “I believe that community service will be a better option for me as it will show my love and support for the community, and it will help me as I’m still learning how to do things… I am very sorry, please forgive me.”

Judge Hamman ultimately decided on a sentence of four years probation with strict conditions, including a prohibition on hunting or owning animals, plus the symbolic one night in jail. The judge stated this would “teach you, hopefully deter you from engaging in any further criminal activity. And I think it sends the proper message regarding the nature of the crime that was committed.”

Finding Some Measure of Peace

Despite her initial desire for a harsher sentence, Haynes expressed some satisfaction with the strict probation conditions. “He can’t hunt, he can’t own animals. So there is a very strict probation, and I’m really happy with that,” she said. “My hope is that this has been scary enough for him that he’ll make a change and also that other people hear about it.”

For the Kitty Charm Farm community, Eddie’s legacy lives on through continued advocacy for stronger animal protection laws and greater awareness about the serious nature of crimes against animals. While the sentence may not satisfy everyone’s sense of justice, the case has brought much-needed attention to the issue of animal cruelty in Hawaii and beyond.