2 women charged in dog killing
By Nancy Cicco
[email protected]
PORTSMOUTH - A Portsmouth woman accused of staging a burglary so she could kill her boyfriend’s dog tried to cover her tracks by placing a lost-and-found advertisement in the Portsmouth Herald last week. The ad had asked for the public’s help in locating the pet.
On Sunday, Portsmouth police charged Shannon C. Walters, 33, of 5 Nichols Ave., Newmarket, with cruelty to animals for allegedly drowning the dog, named "Dewey," at the home of Erin M. Wylie, 27, of 50 Harvard St., Portsmouth. Wylie was charged as being an accomplice to that act. Both crimes are Class B felonies.
Last Friday, police in Kittery, Maine, arrested Walters and Wylie in connection with a reported May 18 burglary at a home in neighboring Eliot, Maine.
A computer, a camera, and a 2-year-old dachshund were reported as stolen from the home.
The tale behind the dog’s disappearance began to come into focus when Walters reportedly told police that Wylie was the burglary victim’s girlfriend, and that she did not like his dog. Walters allegedly said the burglary was staged so they could take the pet.
Authorities allege that immediately after the burglary, the two women "at their own admission" went to Wylie’s Portsmouth home, where Wylie filled her bathtub with water and Walters drowned the dog, said Eliot Patrolman Thomas Hundley on Monday.
Authorities apprehended the suspects last Friday night after Hundley received information from Newmarket police that Walters and Wylie wanted to meet at the Dairy Queen at the Kittery traffic circle at about 10 p.m. There, they planned to talk about what to do next.
A Newmarket resident had tipped off police about that meeting after discovering e-mail messages sent between Walters and Wylie that allegedly implicated them in the crimes, according to Hundley.
"In the e-mails was talk of the burglary, stealing the dog, and the death of the dog," he said.
Kittery police subsequently arrested Walters after she showed up at the Dairy Queen.
"(Officers) found the dead dog in the back of (Walters’) truck," said Kittery police Sgt. Charles Denault.
Wylie was a little late for the meeting, he added. But minutes later, when she arrived at the Kittery police station to help bail out Walters, police arrested her as well, according to Denault.
"They confessed to burglary and murdering the dog," he said.
On Sunday, Wylie and Walters turned themselves in to Portsmouth police, after officers issued warrants for their arrest on the cruelty to animals charges.
But last week, on Thursday, May 20, a woman who identified herself as Erin Wylie claimed the dog had been lost. At that time, she called the Herald to place a classified advertisement, which claimed a 2-year-old miniature black-and-tan dachshund named "Dewey" was last seen May 18 on River Road in Eliot, Maine. The dog was wearing a brown leather collar, the ad said. Members of the public who may have had information about the pet’s whereabouts were encouraged to call a Maine telephone number listed in the advertisement.
No one answered the phone at that number on Monday afternoon. Likewise, neither Walters nor Wylie could be reached for comment.
The advertisement ran for free in editions of the Portsmouth Herald from Friday, May 21, until Monday, May 24.
"She played it up good," said the Herald employee who placed the ad on behalf of the woman. "She told me she thought the dog was stolen from her boyfriend’s ... during a robbery."
The Herald advertising representative, who did not want to be publicly identified, realized the ad was bogus on Monday morning while watching televised news reports about the case. When the employee later arrived for work at the Portsmouth Herald office, the advertising representative learned the pair’s arrest was the top story in Monday’s edition.
The Portsmouth Herald employee is cooperating with police in the case’s investigation.
The woman identifying herself as Wylie allegedly gave the name of Patrick Collins as the customer for the advertisement. Collins was the dog’s owner and Wylie’s boyfriend, according to The Associated Press.
On Monday, the AP reported that Collins told WMUR-TV he couldn’t believe what had happened.
"I don’t know what to say about her. She’s my best friend," he said of Wylie, his girlfriend of two years.
"I wish she could give me some sort of explanation. I don’t know if she was jealous of him. I don’t know how you could be jealous of a little dog," he said.
Collins said the dog waited to greet him every day when he came home for work.
"I just loved him so much," he said.
Walters has been released on ,000 personal-recognizance bail; Wylie was released on ,000 personal-recognizance and 0 cash bail. The pair will be arraigned in Portsmouth District Court on June 21 at 8:30 a.m.
In Maine, Walters and Wylie also each face a charge of Class C felony burglary and receiving stolen property, a Class-D misdemeanor, according to authorities. Walters was released on
2 women charged in dog killing
By Nancy Cicco
[email protected]
PORTSMOUTH - A Portsmouth woman accused of staging a burglary so she could kill her boyfriend’s dog tried to cover her tracks by placing a lost-and-found advertisement in the Portsmouth Herald last week. The ad had asked for the public’s help in locating the pet.
On Sunday, Portsmouth police charged Shannon C. Walters, 33, of 5 Nichols Ave., Newmarket, with cruelty to animals for allegedly drowning the dog, named "Dewey," at the home of Erin M. Wylie, 27, of 50 Harvard St., Portsmouth. Wylie was charged as being an accomplice to that act. Both crimes are Class B felonies.
Last Friday, police in Kittery, Maine, arrested Walters and Wylie in connection with a reported May 18 burglary at a home in neighboring Eliot, Maine.
A computer, a camera, and a 2-year-old dachshund were reported as stolen from the home.
The tale behind the dog’s disappearance began to come into focus when Walters reportedly told police that Wylie was the burglary victim’s girlfriend, and that she did not like his dog. Walters allegedly said the burglary was staged so they could take the pet.
Authorities allege that immediately after the burglary, the two women "at their own admission" went to Wylie’s Portsmouth home, where Wylie filled her bathtub with water and Walters drowned the dog, said Eliot Patrolman Thomas Hundley on Monday.
Authorities apprehended the suspects last Friday night after Hundley received information from Newmarket police that Walters and Wylie wanted to meet at the Dairy Queen at the Kittery traffic circle at about 10 p.m. There, they planned to talk about what to do next.
A Newmarket resident had tipped off police about that meeting after discovering e-mail messages sent between Walters and Wylie that allegedly implicated them in the crimes, according to Hundley.
"In the e-mails was talk of the burglary, stealing the dog, and the death of the dog," he said.
Kittery police subsequently arrested Walters after she showed up at the Dairy Queen.
"(Officers) found the dead dog in the back of (Walters’) truck," said Kittery police Sgt. Charles Denault.
Wylie was a little late for the meeting, he added. But minutes later, when she arrived at the Kittery police station to help bail out Walters, police arrested her as well, according to Denault.
"They confessed to burglary and murdering the dog," he said.
On Sunday, Wylie and Walters turned themselves in to Portsmouth police, after officers issued warrants for their arrest on the cruelty to animals charges.
But last week, on Thursday, May 20, a woman who identified herself as Erin Wylie claimed the dog had been lost. At that time, she called the Herald to place a classified advertisement, which claimed a 2-year-old miniature black-and-tan dachshund named "Dewey" was last seen May 18 on River Road in Eliot, Maine. The dog was wearing a brown leather collar, the ad said. Members of the public who may have had information about the pet’s whereabouts were encouraged to call a Maine telephone number listed in the advertisement.
No one answered the phone at that number on Monday afternoon. Likewise, neither Walters nor Wylie could be reached for comment.
The advertisement ran for free in editions of the Portsmouth Herald from Friday, May 21, until Monday, May 24.
"She played it up good," said the Herald employee who placed the ad on behalf of the woman. "She told me she thought the dog was stolen from her boyfriend’s ... during a robbery."
The Herald advertising representative, who did not want to be publicly identified, realized the ad was bogus on Monday morning while watching televised news reports about the case. When the employee later arrived for work at the Portsmouth Herald office, the advertising representative learned the pair’s arrest was the top story in Monday’s edition.
The Portsmouth Herald employee is cooperating with police in the case’s investigation.
The woman identifying herself as Wylie allegedly gave the name of Patrick Collins as the customer for the advertisement. Collins was the dog’s owner and Wylie’s boyfriend, according to The Associated Press.
On Monday, the AP reported that Collins told WMUR-TV he couldn’t believe what had happened.
"I don’t know what to say about her. She’s my best friend," he said of Wylie, his girlfriend of two years.
"I wish she could give me some sort of explanation. I don’t know if she was jealous of him. I don’t know how you could be jealous of a little dog," he said.
Collins said the dog waited to greet him every day when he came home for work.
"I just loved him so much," he said.
Walters has been released on $10,000 personal-recognizance bail; Wylie was released on $5,000 personal-recognizance and $170 cash bail. The pair will be arraigned in Portsmouth District Court on June 21 at 8:30 a.m.
In Maine, Walters and Wylie also each face a charge of Class C felony burglary and receiving stolen property, a Class-D misdemeanor, according to authorities. Walters was released on $1,500 cash bail and Wylie was released on $1,000 cash bail from the York County Jail in Alfred, Maine, on Saturday.
The pair is scheduled to be arraigned in court on the Maine charges on July 29.
If convicted of the cruelty to animals charges, both Walters and Wylie could spend anywhere from 3-1/2 years to 7 years in prison. If convicted on the burglary charge in Maine, Walters and Wylie could serve as much as five years in prison. Additionally, the charge of receiving stolen property carries a sentence of up to a year in jail.
,500 cash bail and Wylie was released on
2 women charged in dog killing
By Nancy Cicco
[email protected]
PORTSMOUTH - A Portsmouth woman accused of staging a burglary so she could kill her boyfriend’s dog tried to cover her tracks by placing a lost-and-found advertisement in the Portsmouth Herald last week. The ad had asked for the public’s help in locating the pet.
On Sunday, Portsmouth police charged Shannon C. Walters, 33, of 5 Nichols Ave., Newmarket, with cruelty to animals for allegedly drowning the dog, named "Dewey," at the home of Erin M. Wylie, 27, of 50 Harvard St., Portsmouth. Wylie was charged as being an accomplice to that act. Both crimes are Class B felonies.
Last Friday, police in Kittery, Maine, arrested Walters and Wylie in connection with a reported May 18 burglary at a home in neighboring Eliot, Maine.
A computer, a camera, and a 2-year-old dachshund were reported as stolen from the home.
The tale behind the dog’s disappearance began to come into focus when Walters reportedly told police that Wylie was the burglary victim’s girlfriend, and that she did not like his dog. Walters allegedly said the burglary was staged so they could take the pet.
Authorities allege that immediately after the burglary, the two women "at their own admission" went to Wylie’s Portsmouth home, where Wylie filled her bathtub with water and Walters drowned the dog, said Eliot Patrolman Thomas Hundley on Monday.
Authorities apprehended the suspects last Friday night after Hundley received information from Newmarket police that Walters and Wylie wanted to meet at the Dairy Queen at the Kittery traffic circle at about 10 p.m. There, they planned to talk about what to do next.
A Newmarket resident had tipped off police about that meeting after discovering e-mail messages sent between Walters and Wylie that allegedly implicated them in the crimes, according to Hundley.
"In the e-mails was talk of the burglary, stealing the dog, and the death of the dog," he said.
Kittery police subsequently arrested Walters after she showed up at the Dairy Queen.
"(Officers) found the dead dog in the back of (Walters’) truck," said Kittery police Sgt. Charles Denault.
Wylie was a little late for the meeting, he added. But minutes later, when she arrived at the Kittery police station to help bail out Walters, police arrested her as well, according to Denault.
"They confessed to burglary and murdering the dog," he said.
On Sunday, Wylie and Walters turned themselves in to Portsmouth police, after officers issued warrants for their arrest on the cruelty to animals charges.
But last week, on Thursday, May 20, a woman who identified herself as Erin Wylie claimed the dog had been lost. At that time, she called the Herald to place a classified advertisement, which claimed a 2-year-old miniature black-and-tan dachshund named "Dewey" was last seen May 18 on River Road in Eliot, Maine. The dog was wearing a brown leather collar, the ad said. Members of the public who may have had information about the pet’s whereabouts were encouraged to call a Maine telephone number listed in the advertisement.
No one answered the phone at that number on Monday afternoon. Likewise, neither Walters nor Wylie could be reached for comment.
The advertisement ran for free in editions of the Portsmouth Herald from Friday, May 21, until Monday, May 24.
"She played it up good," said the Herald employee who placed the ad on behalf of the woman. "She told me she thought the dog was stolen from her boyfriend’s ... during a robbery."
The Herald advertising representative, who did not want to be publicly identified, realized the ad was bogus on Monday morning while watching televised news reports about the case. When the employee later arrived for work at the Portsmouth Herald office, the advertising representative learned the pair’s arrest was the top story in Monday’s edition.
The Portsmouth Herald employee is cooperating with police in the case’s investigation.
The woman identifying herself as Wylie allegedly gave the name of Patrick Collins as the customer for the advertisement. Collins was the dog’s owner and Wylie’s boyfriend, according to The Associated Press.
On Monday, the AP reported that Collins told WMUR-TV he couldn’t believe what had happened.
"I don’t know what to say about her. She’s my best friend," he said of Wylie, his girlfriend of two years.
"I wish she could give me some sort of explanation. I don’t know if she was jealous of him. I don’t know how you could be jealous of a little dog," he said.
Collins said the dog waited to greet him every day when he came home for work.
"I just loved him so much," he said.
Walters has been released on $10,000 personal-recognizance bail; Wylie was released on $5,000 personal-recognizance and $170 cash bail. The pair will be arraigned in Portsmouth District Court on June 21 at 8:30 a.m.
In Maine, Walters and Wylie also each face a charge of Class C felony burglary and receiving stolen property, a Class-D misdemeanor, according to authorities. Walters was released on $1,500 cash bail and Wylie was released on $1,000 cash bail from the York County Jail in Alfred, Maine, on Saturday.
The pair is scheduled to be arraigned in court on the Maine charges on July 29.
If convicted of the cruelty to animals charges, both Walters and Wylie could spend anywhere from 3-1/2 years to 7 years in prison. If convicted on the burglary charge in Maine, Walters and Wylie could serve as much as five years in prison. Additionally, the charge of receiving stolen property carries a sentence of up to a year in jail.
,000 cash bail from the York County Jail in Alfred, Maine, on Saturday.
The pair is scheduled to be arraigned in court on the Maine charges on July 29.
If convicted of the cruelty to animals charges, both Walters and Wylie could spend anywhere from 3-1/2 years to 7 years in prison. If convicted on the burglary charge in Maine, Walters and Wylie could serve as much as five years in prison. Additionally, the charge of receiving stolen property carries a sentence of up to a year in jail.