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Case #12117 Rating: 2.7 out of 5
Dog beaten to death, body hidden
Shawnee, KS (US)Incident Date: Sunday, Aug 19, 2007
County: Johnson
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 1 files available
Defendant/Suspect: Matthew John Hodges
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
A 20-year-old Wichita man is charged with killing his girlfriend's family dog while visiting her family in Shawnee this summer.
The family found the remains of the dog several days later in the ceiling of their basement.
Mathew John Hodges is charged with one count of animal cruelty in the death of a 12-year-old mixed-breed dog named Duchess. He is being held in the Johnson County jail on $10,000 bond.
Police said Hodges visited a family in the 21700 block of West 53rd Terrace on July 28 and slept in the basement. The dog was last seen in the basement of the home with Hodges.
Thinking that Duchess was lost, the family put up fliers asking for help finding the pet.
A few days later they traced a foul smell in the house to a false ceiling surrounding duct work in the basement and found the body of Duchess.
Police said the dog died from blunt force trauma.
Investigators did not reveal the possible motive for the crime but said they had no reason to pursue any other suspects.
Both Hodges and his girlfriend are students at Wichita State University.
Hodges is facing a charge of animal cruelty, a felony punishable by up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Case Updates21-year-old Wichitan Matthew John Hodges will be heading to jail for 120 days, after being sentenced for killing his then girlfriend's dog. Hodges will also be on probation for a year, be required to do community service, undergo a mental evaluation, and pay restitution.
It happened last July when Hodges visited his then girlfriend at her Shawnee, Kansas home.
Hodges became enraged when he saw the woman's dog trounce a kitten.
He then killed the dog, and hid the body in the ceiling of the home.
The woman and her family found the dog several days later. She broke up with him after the incident. | Source: KSN - Aug 10, 2008
Update posted on Aug 11, 2008 - 6:51PM |
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