A Santa Rosa County man has been sentenced to the maximum prison term allowed under Florida law after a jury convicted him of torturing and killing a kitten.
On July 27, 2026, Judge Clifton Drake sentenced Gunner Cole Bush to five years in state prison following his conviction for aggravated animal cruelty, according to the Office of State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden.
A Santa Rosa County jury found Bush guilty on June 19 after a one-day trial.
Prosecutors said the case stemmed from a December 9, 2023, investigation into the death of a kitten at a home where Bush had recently moved in with his then-girlfriend and her family.
During the investigation, family members told authorities that two other cats had disappeared after Bush moved into the home during the summer of 2023. One of the missing cats had lived with the family for five years, and prosecutors said Bush was the last person seen with one of the animals.
After the kitten’s death, the family discovered the remains of the two missing cats nearby.
Investigators also recovered a tool from Bush’s truck that prosecutors said had been used to mutilate the kitten. DNA testing and a necropsy conducted by the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine helped support the investigation.
The case was investigated by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and Santa Rosa County Animal Services, with forensic assistance provided by the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine.
Assistant State Attorney Patrick King prosecuted the case on behalf of State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden.
State Attorney Madden’s office noted that the five-year sentence is the maximum penalty permitted for the offense under Florida law.
