Florida Man Admits To Stabbing Dog More Than 50 Times

A 35-year-old Florida man has pleaded guilty to stabbing a pit bull puppy more than 50 times and then stuffing the animal into a suitcase while still alive.

Brendan Evans, of Hollywood, Florida, will serve 10 years in state prison on two counts of animal cruelty for the 2017 torture of a pit bull named Ollie, defense attorney Michael Gottlieb told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel Tuesday.

Evans has been jailed since his arrest in November 2017.

He would have been sentenced to 85 years in prison had he been convicted of the 17 counts he was initially charged by the Broward State Attorney's Office. The defense attorney said prosecutors dropped the other 15 charges in exchange for his guilty plea.

The pit bull was discovered severely injured in October 2017 by a couple who was out for a late-night walk and heard cries coming from a blue suitcase near Evans' Hollywood apartment.

The unnamed couple called police, who took the wounded animal to a nearby animal clinic. Veterinarians believed Ollie could recover from his injuries, but the dog died two days later.

Following Ollie's death, reward money amounting to nearly $60,000 was donated by hundreds of animal lovers to help find his killer.

Evans was later charged with the animal’s death after Hollywood police linked his DNA to the suitcase.

Officers searched Evans' apartment and found a handwritten note that said, "Make the entire pit bull investigation go away. Return all curses placed on Brendan to their sender. Give Brendan peace of mind."

Police also found cat paws and rats with severed heads in Evans' freezer as well as an 18-inch machete under his television stand. A second knife covered with blood and fur was found on a dresser, while a third knife with a broken handle and blade was discovered in a dog bowl.

Additionally, Evans' oven was also covered with dried blood and animal fur, and officers noticed there were bloodstains on a shower curtain and toilet in his bathroom.

Evans is on medication and is in need of care from mental health professionals, Gottlieb said. Evans did not receive such care while he was in jail in the past four years, the lawyer explained.

"I am hopeful the prison will get him some kind of help when he gets there," Gottlieb was quoted as saying.

"This is the biggest issue with sentencing someone like him to prison. At some point, he’s going to get out. He comes from a really good family. So, I am sure they are going to get him help," the lawyer added.

Evans has another hearing this Friday related to a violation of probation from a robbery case in Hernando County, Gottlieb said. He faces up to 15 years in prison for that case.