By Rupert Howell

Oxford attorney Rhea Tannehill has filed a motion for speedy trial in a case that charges his client, Brad W. McCulley,  with 13 counts of use of a restricted pesticide inconsistent with labeling allegedly causing the death of several pet dogs in the Eureka area last December.

A tentative court date is set for Monday, August 12 at the Batesville Courthouse with Circuit Judge Jimmy McClure presiding according to Panola County Circuit Clerk’s office.

But Tannehill said Wednesday that he doubts the trial will happen in August as he has yet to see a pretrial scheduling order.

“As soon as we get the discovery from the District Attorney’s office we will know more about how the case will proceed,”  Tannehill said when contacted by The Panolian last Wednesday.

“This is an awful situation for everyone involved.  Mr. McCulley has cooperated with law enforcement officials throughout the investigation.  Pets are a part of people’s family, and nobody wants anything bad to happen to people’s pets,” the attorney acknowledged.

The indictment charges Brad W. McCulley with mixing Phorate, a poison listed by EPA as very highly acutely toxic to bees, wildlife and humans, with raw meat and placing it in cups to poison dogs.

Eight of the 13 counts stem from pet deaths of one owner and the remainder stem from pet deaths of five separate owners, all living around McCulley’s Woodruff Road residence east of Batesville.

July 19 is listed as the plea date prior to McClure’s next Batesville court session.