Woman sentenced in case that sparked Springfield cat rumours

Summary

Allexis Ferrell, a U.S. citizen, was sentenced to one year in prison for animal cruelty after killing a cat in Canton, Ohio.

The incident fueled baseless online rumors that Haitian immigrants were eating pets, which were later amplified by Donald Trump and Senator JD Vance, despite denials from local police.

The rumors falsely linked Ferrell to immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, home to a large Haitian community.

Authorities and media debunked the claims, highlighting how isolated incidents were manipulated into anti-immigrant narratives for political gain.