Dog killed on train tracks, teens suspected Ecorse, MI (US) Incident Date: Wednesday, May 9, 2001 County: Wayne Local Map: available Disposition: Open Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!

Case ID: 3818 Classification: Mutilation/Torture, Beating Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in MI (US) Login to Watch this Case

A German shepherd puppy about a year old was found cut in two on the railroad tracks.

Cindy Stiles found the puppy wandering along those same railroad tracks in August 2000. The dog was scruffy and underfed when Cindy first found her. The stray was named Sadie. Stiles took her to the vet and nursed her back to health and fed her sausages every morning at McDonald's.

Stiles put Sadie into her backyard just before their morning walk for breakfast. That was the last time she saw Sadie alive.

Stiles thinks her pet was taken from her backyard by three or possibly four teenage boys. Apparently a classmate of the boys told her they were bragging about the death during school the next day.

Ecorse police are investigating the incident and those responsible could face criminal charges.

The known facts are Stiles let Sadie out into her fenced backyard and when Stiles called her about 15 minutes later she heard nothing.

Stiles searched for hours, even taking her 15 year old son out of school to help look for Sadie. Early that afternoon she left for work and neighbors continued searching for Sadie.

A cargo train passed through Stiles' neighbhood about 5:00 p.m. Stiles suspects the boys tied the dog to the tracks or held Sadie down until the last minute and then they ran. Appears the dog might have also been clubbed. Police found a piece of wood with matted dog hair and a long piece of leash near the site where the dog was killed. The leash was not Stiles'.

A neighbor told Stiles her dog's body had been found on the railroad tracks. Sadie's body had been cut in two when the train passed over her. The neighbor put the dog in a bag and carried the body to Stiles' home.

Stiles buried Sadie in her backyard. She went to the tracks and placed some flowers, a rosary and ceramic angel. She found a rib bone and some fur which she put in a plastic bag.

When school let out on May 10, a local girl stopped by Stiles' house to tell her about the boys' bragging about killing Sadie. Stiles got their names and addresses and confronted them.

The first boy broke down and admitted being there. He described how Sadie was hit by the train. The second and thrid boys (twins) also broke down. They blamed the first boy. Their descriptions of Sadie's death were identical to the first boy.

Stiles reported the boys to the police. The police exhumed Sadie and said they would contact Stiles. The police are investigating the incident and any action is pending.

Stiles said, "Sadie was the greatest dog in the world."

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References

Detroit Free Press - Jun 1, 2001

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