Police: Ohio Woman's Missing Dog Found Decapitated In Her Backyard
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (KDKA) - Police are trying to figure out who decapitated an Ohio woman's dog and left its head in her backyard.
The East Palestine Police Department, about an hour away from Pittsburgh, says they received a call last Friday from a woman, Barb Greaves, reporting her Beagle named Trouble was missing.
Police say she told them Trouble had been let out on a cable run in the backyard and then was discovered missing a short time later.
On Sunday afternoon, police say Greaves' son called and said someone had killed his mother's dog, cut off its head and left it in the backyard.
Neighbor Ed Byard has two dogs of his own, and can't understand who would cut off a dog's head.
"It's heinous. What kind of mindset of a person would lead someone to want to do something like that," he said.
Next-door neighbor Diane Kelly made the discovery Sunday and didn't even realize what actually happened until later in the day. She looked out her window and saw something in her neighbor's yard.
"I thought they got a new ball to play with because I saw a white ball then Scott later on told me -- her son -- that was Trouble's head you saw," said Kelly. "I can't get it out of my head. It's all I can think about."
The village manager says the family is heartbroken.
"This is a wonderful community. I've been a part of this community for the last 15 years and it just blows my mind that there would be somebody from our community or someone would come into our community and do something like this," said East Palestine Village Manager Mark McTrustry.
Now, police are trying to figure out who committed the heinous crime.
The community is also coming together to find Trouble's killer. A Facebook page called "Justice for Trouble" posted a list of local businesses where people can donate money toward the cause.
The page says the money will be put towards a reward fund for information. The Columbiana County Humane Society set up an account at Home Savings Bank. Checks can be made payable to Justice for Trouble.
Ed Byard said none of his neighbors heard or saw anything suspicious over the weekend and is keeping a closer eye on his two dogs now.
Anyone who saw anything suspicious on Friday between 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. or Sunday between 1:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. is asked to call the East Palestine Police Department at 330-426-4341.
