Thompson has been accused of killing 10 of his dogs while living in an Okemos apartment between October 2010 and June 2011 and three while living in an East Lansing condominium on M.A.C. Avenue in September 2010. He has been out of jail on bail since October 2011, living in Okemos with friends and following a 10 p.m. curfew while wearing a GPS tether.

In past court appearances, some of Thompson’s roommates and acquaintances testified they often heard dogs yelping, and they occasionally saw Thompson hurt the dogs or throw them across the room.

Thompson admitted to killing the dogs during an interview with Ingham County Animal Control Officer Jodi LeBombard, and a search of his apartment on June 21, 2011, yielded a severely injured dog named Chloe. To date, no other dogs have been found.

Graduate student Denae Baker never saw Thompson with a dog, nor did she ever hear barks and yelps coming from his residence in Berrytree Apartments, 2950 Whitehall Drive, in Okemos, located just down the hall from where she used to live.

As she continues to hear about new developments in his case, Baker said she remembers moments mirroring some of the information that has since been brought forward.

“There were a couple of times when I was taking out the trash and saw him struggling, so I offered help,” Baker said. “I didn’t realize what he was doing — I didn’t realize that might have been the dogs.”

If found guilty, Thompson faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison and up to $20,000 in fines for the charges — a punishment Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings said should not be enough for the extent of the crimes Thompson allegedly committed.

“Under law, animals are property, but they also suffer and feel pain,” Dunnings said. “It’s hard to even think that somebody would do this repeatedly.”

Dunnings said the punishment for animal killing or torturing does not change for someone found guilty of three or more counts, so prosecution is hoping Thompson is found guilty of at least three of the killings.

“The penalties do not match what we believe to be the (fitting) punishment, but that in no way deters us from doing what we can,” Dunnings said.

In past court testimony, Thompson’s attorney Stacia Buchanan said much of the evidence used against Thompson in court proceedings thus far, including testimony from his roommates in both apartments, is hearsay and does not prove her client killed the dogs.

Buchanan did not return multiple calls and emails from The State News.

Jamie McAloon-Lampman, director of Ingham County Animal Control and Shelter, said the limitations on the law are unfortunate, but she said she is fully confident in the prosecution’s ability to put Thompson behind bars.

“We know what the reality is,” McAloon-Lampman said. “There’s much more that needs to be done with this person, but I’m confident that everything that can be done in court is going to be done.”

Baker said she didn’t know for sure if Thompson was innocent or guilty, but she said she was surprised he currently is not in jail, considering some of the allegations against him.

“I’m surprised that he’s out (on bail), but I hope he gets the punishment he deserves,” she said.

Thompson, a former student in the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, was no longer enrolled in the university as of November 2011.

MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine Dean William Strampel declined to comment on Thompson or his upcoming trial because he said he has been called to testify in the case.