TX - Brent Justice and Ashley Richards tortured pets for "crush" vids.

Richards previously pleaded guilty to three counts of animal cruelty and is expected to testify against Justice. Richards also pleaded guilty in 2015 to federal charges of violating a 2010 statute prohibiting crush videos — she and Justice are the first people charged under the new law. The charges against both were dismissed in 2013 after a Houston federal judge found the law unconstitutional, but the Fifth Circuit overturned the ruling. Justice's federal charges are pending.

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One of the clips, “puppy2,” was described by prosecutors as showing the woman striking a defenseless pitbull numerous times with a meat cleaver while the dog’s mouth was closed shut with duct tape.

“In the video, Richards chops off one of the puppy’s paws, then hacks at his head and neck. Richards is later seen severing the dog’s head and urinating on its body. In another video, described in court today, Richards steps on a cat’s eye with heel of her shoe,” the court filing reads in part.

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During an interview with investigators, Justice admitted he videotaped Richards torturing the animals and killing the pit bull puppy, according to prosecutors. In one of the videos, Justice allegedly placed a knife on the floor within Richards' reach as she tormented an animal...

The dog was bleeding and struggling when Richards used the meat cleaver to sever its head from the body, a prosecutor told a magistrate during the probable cause hearing , prompting the judge to stop further reading of details in the case.

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