CONVICTED: Was justice served?
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Case #5777 Rating: 2.3 out of 5
Dog beaten with hammer, run over with car
West Monroe, LA (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Jul 31, 2003
County: Ouachita
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Sharon Fowler
Case Updates: 4 update(s) available
Sharon Fowler, 35, was arrested in August 2003 for allegedly torturing a neighbor's dog in West Monroe, La. The dog, an 8-month-old Labrador retriever, had been playing with Fowler's child and others in a mobile home park when the dog reportedly scratched the child.
Fowler told police that when she later saw the dog, she went into a rage and tried to tie a rope to the dog's collar. Police reports say that the dog bit her and she proceeded to hit the dog with a hammer in front of children, then tied him to her vehicle and dragged him down the road, running over his head. A passerby found the dog still alive and took him to a nearby veterinary hospital, where he was euthanized.
Fowler has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a felony. The trial had been rescheduled for January 20, 2005, but was postponed again and the next court date is now June 16. The case# is 03-F2347-1.
Case UpdatesSharon Fowler has received the maximum jail term allowed under her plea agreement. Ad hoc Judge James Boddie has sentenced Fowler to three years at hard labor for the August 2003 crime.
Fowler pleaded guilty as charged on August seventh to aggravated cruelty to an animal.
Ouachita Parish Assistant District Attorney Neal Johnson agreed to a sentence cap of three years. The charge can carry up to 10 years in prison.
According to police reports, Fowler went after the Labrador retriever when the dog bit her son while he played outside with friends.
Law enforcement officers noted several scratches on the child, though none actually broke the skin.
Investigative says Fowler repeatedly struck the dog with a hammer, then tied a rope around its neck and dragged it behind her vehicle, running over the animal's head.
The dog later had to be euthanized.
Johnson said though Fowler had a history of mental illness, she still deserves to serve jail time. | Source: Associated Press- Nov 29, 2006
Update posted on Nov 29, 2006 - 11:41PM |
The woman accused of dragging a neighborhood puppy to its death has pleaded guilty as charged in 4th Judicial District Court
Sharon Fowler of Winnsboro was set to appear before ad hoc Judge James Boddie for a hearing Monday to determine if she was entitled to a sanity commission when she pleaded guilty to aggravated cruelty to an animal.
Ouachita Parish Sheriff's deputies arrested Fowler in November 2003 for the August 2003 death of an 8-month-old Labrador retriever puppy.
According to police reports, Fowler became enraged after noticing her son had been bitten while playing outside with friends in a West Monroe mobile home park, though none of the marks broke the skin. Fowler also claimed the dog tried to bite her.
She then repeatedly struck the dog with a hammer, tied it to her vehicle and dragged it, running over its head. The dog later had to be euthanized because of its extensive injuries.
Assistant district attorney Neal Johnson agreed to a three-year cap on her sentence in exchange for her guilty plea. Aggravated cruelty to an animal can carry up to 10 years in prison.
"Due to the severity of the crime and as a dog owner and animal lover, I wouldn't offer the chance at a reduced charge," Johnson said.
Several animal rights Web sites have followed the case. Johnson said the district attorney's office has received letters "from Maine to California" about the incident.
Boddie is set to sentence Fowler on Nov. 2. She also faces $5,000 to $10,000 in fines. | Source: The News Star - Aug 11, 2006
Update posted on Nov 9, 2006 - 10:28PM |
A bench warrant was issued today for the woman accused of dragging a dog to its death three years ago after she failed to show up for a hearing in state district court in Monroe.
Sharon Fowler was scheduled to appear so ad hoc Judge James Boddie could decide whether to appoint a sanity commission to determine Fowlers competency to stand trial.
Fowler had been free on a five-thousand dollar bond, which Boddie reset at 10-thousand dollars.
Fowler is charged with aggravated cruelty to an animal for killing a Labrador retriever puppy after it scratched her son in August 2003.
If convicted, Fowler faces up to 10 years in prison. | Source: KLFY - July 11, 2006
Update posted on Jul 13, 2006 - 1:04PM |
A trial date was set in state district court today in the case of a Winnsboro woman accused of dragging a dog to its death in 2003.
Thirty-eight-year-old Sharon Fowler is scheduled to face a Ouachita Parish jury on May 15. 2006 on charges of aggravated cruelty to an animal. Sheriff's deputies arrested Fowler in November 2003 for an incident earlier that year involving her neighbor's dog.
According to police reports, Fowler became enraged after an eight-month-old Labrador retriever scratched her then five-year old son.
Police say she then hit the dog several times with a hammer, tied it to her vehicle and ran over its head. The animal later had to be euthanized. If convicted, Fowler faces up to 10 years in prison with a maximum 20-thousand dollar fine. | Source: KLFY News - February 21, 2006
Update posted on Feb 21, 2006 - 6:27PM |
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