Sheriff's Office: Man and woman shot, killed two adult dogs, tried to bury five live puppies along with them
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on January 17, 2017 10:13 AM
When deputies arrived to a call Sunday night in the 600 block of Antioch Road, all they knew was a 911 caller had seen two people digging a hole in a field and firing three shots into it.
In the field, behind an abandoned house, the officers came upon a disturbing scene.
According to an incident report, Emily Ann Gray, 29, and Marquise Christopher Johnson, 27, had allegedly shot and killed two adult dogs, placed them inside the hole and then placed the two adult dogs' five living puppies inside the hole with their dead parents.
Johnson reportedly told deputies the dogs had an incurable illness and they needed to be put down. But once he was taken to the magistrate's office, Johnson changed his story.
He told deputies the reason he shot the puppies' mother was because she had growled at him and bit him, according to the report.
Johnson, of 314 Charles St., is charged with five counts of animal cruelty, felony possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and simple possession of a schedule VI controlled substance.
Gray, of the same address as Johnson, is charged with five counts of animal cruelty.
Maj. Tom Effler with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office said he did not know the nature of Gray and Johnson's relationship.
"I don't know if they're boyfriend and girlfriend or what," Effler said.
The deputies at the scene called animal control, and officer James Smith responded and took custody of the five puppies and removed the two adult dogs from the hole.
Authorities then reportedly seized 10.5 grams of marijuana from the pair's white Honda Odyssey van. They also found the handgun allegedly used to shoot the two dogs stashed inside a window of the abandoned house.
Johnson is being held in the Wayne County Jail under a $17,500 secured bond, and Gray was given a $5,000 unsecured bond.
Both Gray and Johnson have their first appearance in Wayne County court today.
A call to Wayne County Animal Control was not immediately returned.