Dog cooked alive in oven during burglary - Savannah, GA

Friday, Aug 26, 2005

County: Chatham

Disposition: Convicted

Defendants/Suspects:
» Evelyn Williams - Alleged
» Alexander Davis

Case Updates: 3 update(s) available

Two people are in jail on burglary and one of them is facing animal cruelty charges after being arrested for burglarizing a Southside Savannah woman's home. Police say the crime committed inside the home was unimaginable.

"It's bad enough to be burglarized," said Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Bucky Burnsed. "You feel violated, your things have been gone through, you're missing stuff. But to have the burglar kill your family pet, leave water running in the house to do further damage, is just disgusting."

Investigators say the woman who lived there walked inside her home and not only noticed items missing, but she also noticed her oven was on, with a strong stench coming from inside.

"The officer came in, did a further search," said Burnsed. "It was the officers who found the dog in the oven." The dog was a rat-terrier.

After receiving an anonymous tip from a watchful neighbor, police arrested 19-year-old Alexander Davis and 24-year-old Evelyn Williams, who was found with Davis at a pawn shop trying to sell items stolen from the house. While investigators continue their investigation, they say what was found in the home was one of the most disturbing discoveries they've ever made.

Davis faces several felony counts including cruelty to animals. Evelyn Williams has been charged with theft by receiving stolen property. Both are behind bars waiting to be arraigned.

Case Updates

A man who burned a dog to death in the oven of a house he was robbing has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, a prosecutor said. Alexander Davis, 20, received a five-year sentence for aggravated animal cruelty and 10 years for burglary, Chatham County Assistant District Attorney Melanie Higgins said. The dog's owner, Angela DeLettre, came home in August 2005 to find an open back door, items missing and a kitchen sink overflowing with water. She found one of her dogs safe, but the other, a 1-year-old rat terrier, was missing. Police later found the dead dog in the oven, which had been set to 400 degrees. Police arrested Davis on an anonymous tip a few days later.

Source: The Denver Channel - Dec 1, 2006 Update posted on Dec 1, 2006 - 5:19PM

A Savannah man accused of breaking into a home and burning the family dog to death in the oven was indicted for aggravated cruelty to animals on November 17, 2005. Nineteen-year old Alexander Davis and his girlfriend Evelyn Williams allegedly broke into a home on Phyllis Drive on August 25th. Davis allegedly killed the dog by putting it in the oven and turning it on. Davis and Williams were indicted on one count of burglary and one count of theft by deception for the crime. Davis was also indicted November 17, 2005 for six other home burglaries Savannah.

Source: WSAV3 - November 16, 2005 Update posted on Nov 17, 2005 - 3:56PM

The case of the man charged with burning a dog to death in an oven while burglarizing a house has been sent to Chatham County Superior Court because he waived his right to a preliminary hearing on the charges. The next step for prosecutors will be to present the case to the grand jury. Ms. Williams has been charged with theft by receiving stolen property. A police department spokesman said she has not been linked to the dog's death. After responding to Angela DeLettre's call that her house had been broken into, investigators found Zoe, a 1-year-old rat terrier, burned to death in the oven. Davis is also charged in connection with another recent burglary and officers found items reported stolen in Mr. Davis' car.

Source: Augusta Chronicle - Sept 3, 2005 Update posted on Sep 6, 2005 - 1:40PM

References

• « GA State Animal Cruelty Map
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