Militia Member Killed His Cat to Prove His Mettle

Eight of the nine Hutaree militia members accused of plotting against the government pleaded not guilty in a Detroit court today as prosecutors shed new details on the group. Among the nuggets: One of the nine, Kristopher Sickles, killed his cat to "see if he had it in him to kill something he cared about." The ninth member has yet to to be transferred to Michigan to join his comrades and did not enter a plea, reports ABC News.

Prosecutors also said that an undercover agent infiltrated the group by attending a "training day," where he saw a pipe bomb and an improvised explosive device, or IED. Agents moved in when they did because one member declared that the Hutaree was ready "to go to war" on a militia website and that the ATF wanted a "fire fight."