Man charged in dogfighting case has probation revoked

A Dudley, Mo., man had his probation revoked Monday as a result of dogfighting and drug possession charges filed against him in October.

Jamie D. Sifford, 30, appeared today before Stoddard County Circuit Judge Stephen Sharp to decide whether or not to revoke his probation after an October raid on his Dudley property. Police allege they found evidence of dogfighting and drugs at Sifford's property during the raid.

Sifford was on probation for drug charges stemming from a 2006 guilty plea at the time of the search.

After hearing more than four and a half hours of testimony, Sharp ruled that a "preponderance of evidence" showed Sifford had hosted dogfighting and possessed illegal drugs at his home. Sifford hasn't been found guilty on any charges related to the October raid, but probation revocation doesn't require the tougher "reasonable doubt" standard needed to convict someone of a crime.

Kyle Held, a cruelty investigator with the Humane Society of Missouri, listed the items seized from Sifford's property Oct. 20, 2007, after receiving a tip from a confidential informant. The informant said a fight was scheduled for the night, but when the search warrant was executed, Sifford and two other men were only talking among themselves.

Among the items police confiscated were break sticks, rubber devices used to pry a dog's jaws off another animal, first aid powder used to halt bleeding, a treadmill and a carpeted horse stall investigators said was the "ring" where the dogfights allegedly took place.

During cross examination, Held agreed with Jasper N. Edmundson, attorney for Sifford, that a horse stall was an unusual place for a fighting ring and that he'd never seen one like that before, but that the stall was stained with blood. Sifford later said the stall was used for birthing and a female dog had recently had a litter of puppies there.

Mike Moody, a deputy with the Stoddard County sheriff's department, testified that Sifford admitted to having conversations about dogfights with a Sikeston man, but wouldn't confirm whether that man was the informant.

Moody said there were no promises made during the interview, but that he said several times this was Sifford's chance to cooperate.

"He came around. I think he realized that he probably needed to talk," Moody testified.

In an interview the following day, Sifford told Moody he was breeding and showing the pit bull terriers he kept on his farm.

Sifford later testified at the hearing, describing two separate instances where two of his dogs got in a fight, but denied making any statements regarding organized dogfighting.

A triage nurse at the humane society listed the injuries found on the dogs seized during the search, highlighting the fact that several had torn ears, various scars and broken or missing teeth.

Sifford disputed the report, saying he would have noticed if more than one of his dogs had torn ears, and that the scars were either old ones from before he purchased the animals or a result of the two recent fights he described.

"It's not unusual for pit bulls to have scars," he said.

Edmundson entered evidence proving Sifford showed some of his pit bulls, including a two-foot-high trophy for "best female in show" and entry lists from previous shows.

Last month charges were dropped against another man arrested during the bust at Sifford's home, Curtis Pickering, 29, of South Fulton, Tenn., after Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Briney Welborn dismissed the case against him.

At the time, Welborn said he dropped charges against Pickering to focus on the case against Sifford.

A string of neighbors living within a mile of the Sifford property testified upon the request of the Sifford family, and all said they had never seen any evidence of Sifford mistreating his dogs or encouraging them to fight.

Sifford was known for always having a dog in the front seat of his truck, several people testified.

In April, Edmunson filed a motion to suppress the evidence seized during the search of Sifford property on the grounds that the application of the search warrant was signed and dated June 27, 2007, and the warrant was then not executed within the required 10 days of the application being created and so would have expired by the time of the actual search.

According to the Stoddard County circuit clerk, the incorrect date was placed on the application, and it was created October 20.

Jessey Short, 30, of Cape Girardeau, is set to appear in court later this month on five counts of dogfighting.

Sifford still faces 19 felonies of dogfighting, three counts of possession of controlled substances and two counts of unlawful use of drug paraphernalia in Stoddard County.

A sentencing hearing for his probation revocation is set for July 16. Sifford faces the possibility of 7 years in prison for violating his probation.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245

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