Dog Found Dead - Couple Charged
Murfreesboro, TN (US)

Incident Date: Saturday, Jul 3, 2004
County: Rutherford

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged:
» William Lester Raney
» Misty Dawn Lancaster

William Lester Raney, 24, and Misty Dawn Lancaster, 23, were arrested Saturday, July 3, 2004 and charged with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals when county sheriff's officials found a decomposing dog and a malnourished dog at their home.

Deputy Jonathan Stephens of the Rutherford County Sheriff's Department arrived at the residence Saturday and reported a ''strong odor indicating a dead animal,'' according to the police report.

Stephens found a decomposing body of a dog, a blue heeler named Baby with ''the leash still around its neck and a chain which was still spiked into the ground,'' the report said. Another blue heeler named Afina was found to be alive, but with a sunken stomach and very emaciated appearance.

Lancaster told investigators that Afina and Baby were her boyfriend's dogs and that ''he has been telling her every day that he was feeding the dogs,'' according to the report. A healthy boxer named Marley was found inside the residence.

Lester and Lancaster are free on $4,000 bond each and are to appear in General Sessions Court on Aug. 12, 2004.

References

• tennessean.com

« TN State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Rutherford County, TN

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.