Odor At Rental Property Leads to Felony Animal Cruelty Charges

On December 22, 2025, Deputies from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in the Aurora/Richlands area for a report of a foul odor coming from inside a rental property where a tenant had previously moved out.

Deputies responded to the residence and began investigating. During the investigation, four deceased cats were located inside of the residence in various stages of decomposition. Detectives conducted further investigation and conducted interviews. As a result of the investigation, a warrant for arrest was obtained charging 46-year-old Robert Stanley Smith III of Grantsboro NC with four counts of Felony Animal Cruelty.

Smith was arrested on December 31, 2025, in Pamlico County by the Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office and confined in the Pamlico County Detention Center under a $10,000 secured bond.

Sheriff Hammonds asks anyone with information regarding suspected animal abuse or neglect to contact Beaufort County Animal Control at 252-946-4517. You can also submit tips anonymously by contacting Beaufort County Crime Stoppers at 252-974-6400 or submitting your confidential tip through the P3Tips App.