Dog beaten to death with axe
Ragland, AL (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Jul 25, 2007
County: Saint Clair
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Roy Michael Edge
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
St. Clair County Deputies arrested a Ragland man on July 31, charging him with felony animal cruelty in the bludgeoning death of a dog.
Investigators said Roy Michael Edge, 54, is charged with beating the dog to death with an axe. He was released from jail Monday afternoon after posting a $2,500 bond.
Investigator Billy Murray said the dog's owner filed a report with the sheriff's department the day the incident occurred.
Murray said Edge admitted killing the dog when he questioned him.
According to the report, the incident took place July 25 at approximately 2:30 p.m. at 154 Memory Lane. Edge lives at 157 Memory Lane.
Murray said the dog was found in the woods near a home.
Investigators aren't sure if two puppies also found dead in the vicinity of the dead dog are related to the case, Murray said.
The dog was struck at the back of the head and injuries included a broken jaw, said Amy Landis, veterinary assistant for Logan Martin Animal Hospital, who assisted in finding the dog's body.
"She probably died from blunt force trauma to her head," Landis said. "It's hard to say how many times she was hit before she died."
The two puppies appeared to have been suffocated inside a garbage bag, she said.
A law passed in 2000 makes torturing or killing a dog or cat a Class C felony punishable by a sentence of a year and a day in prison up to 10 years in prison, said St. Clair County District Attorney Richard Minor.
In recent years, Minor said his office has probably prosecuted about three felony cruelty to animals cases.
Murray said there hasn't been a high number of reports of animal abuse since he's been an investigator.
"It's very sporadic," he said.
Anyone who has evidence that an animal has been tortured or killed intentionally should file a report with the sheriff's department as soon as possible, Murray said.
"We're absolutely in support of enforcing this law," he said. "Just call and we'll send people out on it."
An initial court appearance is scheduled for Edge for Sept. 4.
Case UpdatesA Ragland man was arraigned Tuesday on animal cruelty charges after he allegedly bludgeoned a dog to death.
Roy Michael Edge, 54, appeared before St. Clair County Circuit Court Judge Jim Hill Tuesday morning. Edge is charged with cruelty to an animal in the first and second degree.
Edge entered a plea of not guilty.
Edge was charged with animal cruelty after a dog owner found a dog bludgeoned to death and filed a report with the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department in July 2007.
Authorities say Edge admitted to killing the dog.
According to reports, the incident took place during the afternoon of July 25 along Memory Lane.
The dog was found in a wooded area near Edge's home. According to one witness, the dog was struck on the back of the head and injuries included a broken jaw.
Puppies were also found in the same vicinity of the dog. The puppies had appeared to have suffocated in a garbage bag.
Hill appointed Pell City attorney Stan Brown to defend Edge in the criminal case.
Edge was arrested in July 2007 and indicted by a St. Clair County Grand Jury March 14.
St. Clair County District Attorney Richard Minor said a law passed in 2000 makes torturing or killing a dog or cat a Class C felony, punishable by a sentence of a year and a day in prison, up to 10 years in prison.
Minor said in recent years, his office has prosecuted about three felony cruelty to animal cases.
Edge, who remains out of jail on a $2,500 bond, is scheduled to appear in court June 16. If a plea agreement is not reached between the defendant and the state the case could go to trial during the week of June 23. | Source: St. Clair Times - May 1, 2008
Update posted on May 5, 2008 - 5:17PM |
A case involving a Ragland man accused of animal cruelty was bound over to a grand jury on Tuesday, September 4th.
District Court Judge Phil Seay bound over the state's case against Roy Michael Edge, 54.
Edge is charged with felony animal cruelty after he allegedly killed a dog with an axe on or about July 25.
The grand jury is expected to convene the week of Jan. 7, 2008.
It will decide whether there is enough evidence to proceed with a criminal trial.
Edge, who was arrested July 30, has remained out of jail on a $2,500 bond.
According to court documents, Edge is accused of striking a dog in the neck with an axe, killing the animal.
Authorities said the dog's owner filed a report with the Sheriff's Department the day the incident occurred.
St. Clair County Sheriff's Department investigator Billy Murray said shortly after his arrest, Edge admitted killing the dog.
Two puppies were also found dead in the vicinity of the dead dog, but no additional charges have been brought against Edge related to the puppies' deaths.
Amy Landis, a veterinary assistant for Logan Martin Animal Hospital in Pell City who assisted in the recovery of the bodies of the animals, said it appears the puppies were suffocated inside a garbage bag.
A law passed in 2000 makes torturing or killing a dog or cat a Class C felony. If convicted, Edge could serve up to 10 years in prison, District Attorney Richard Minor said. | Source: DailyHome.Com - Sep 5, 2007
Update posted on Sep 5, 2007 - 2:10PM |
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