Dogfighting suspect from Cape Girardeau to face trial in November

Another man charged in connection with last October’s dogfighting raid at a Dudley, Mo., property has had his case set for trial.

The case against Jessey Short, 30 of Cape Girardeau, has been set for trial beginning Nov. 21 with a hearing on a motion to suppress evidence scheduled for Sept. 22.

Short, who posted a $125,000 cash bond on Nov. 2, faces five charges of felony dogfighting. He faces a maximum of 12 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

The Oct. 21 raid north of Dudley where Short was arrested was a cooperative effort of the Stoddard County Sheriff’s Department, the SEMO Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri Humane Society.

Investigators recovered a large amount of evidence consistent with dog fighting including weights, treadmills, a bloody mat covering the floor of what was believed to be the ring where dogs were fought and breaker bars used to pry one dog’s jaws from another.

Also arrested in the raid were 30-year-old Jamie Sifford of Dudley and 28-year-old Curtis Pickering of South Fulton, Tenn.

Sifford pleaded guilty in July to a probation violation for a six-year sentence and three years on the related dogfighting charges.

Sifford originally faced 18 charges of the Class D felony of dogfighting, three counts of the Class C felony of Possession of a controlled substance and one Class A misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Pickering faced charges of dogfighting in Tenn., but they were dismissed.

His parents pleaded guilty to one count each of accessory to dogfighting and received one year’s probation.

Charges against Pickering’s girlfriend were also dismissed.

Southeast Missourian staff writer Bridget DiCosmo contributed to this report.