A rural Festus teen charged with shooting a chimpanzee will stand trail, following a preliminary hearing held Friday, July 27.
Jason Coats, 18, is charged with felony property damage and misdemeanor animal abuse in the shooting of Suzy the chimpanzee on April 19.
The shooting took place after three chimpanzees owned by Mike and Connie Casey escaped from an unlocked cage and wandered away.
The Caseys operate the Missouri Primate Foundation and Chimparty. The chimpanzees are kept at a compound at the Caseys' home on Hwy. CC, south of Festus.
The preliminary hearing was held Friday, July 27, before Associate Circuit Judge William Wegge Jr., who bound the case over for trial. Coats' next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 20. No date for a trial is set. Mike Casey said a trial could be held in November.
If convicted of the felony charge, Coats could be sentenced to up to five years in prison.
"We don't want to ruin his life, but we think he needs some time to get some help and to spend some time thinking about what he has done," Casey said. "We don't want him to do five years, but we don't want him to just walk."
Click to read past Leader coverage on the events that led to "Chimp Crazy."
