DENNIS LEE MARTIN and unnamed juvenile charged in relation to the murder of a dog and five horses
- voiceforus
- Mar 29, 2023
- 3 min read
- Virginia, USA -
In a news release by the Appomattox County Sheriff’s Office and obtained by Voice For Us, Appomattox County Sheriff Donald Simpson said that on March 14, 2023, the sheriff’s office responded to a property in the 1600 block of Double Bridges Road in Spout Spring, about 50 miles south of Charlottesville, after animal control alerted deputies to multiple horses being shot.
At the scene, emergency responders learned that five horses had been killed by gunshot wounds, and three more were wounded.
A veterinarian responded to the scene to provide care to the wounded horses.
From a full forensic investigation, it emerged that a juvenile had fatally shot and wounded the horses and was placed under arrest on multiple counts of felony animal cruelty charges.
On March 22, 2023, following a veterinary assessment, the Appomattox County Sheriff’s Office updated the number of the wounded horses and said that a total of five horses had been wounded on top of the five ones who were fatally shot.
Additionally, the sheriff’s office announced that a dog had also been killed by the same juvenile.
Sheriff Donald Simpson explained to ABC 13 that this new development affected the charges against the juvenile who is now facing eleven felony charges for the dog and the ten horses.
ABC13 then asked Sheriff Simpson “if there has been any discussion between his department and the Commonwealth’s Attorney on whether or not they’d try to charge the juvenile as an adult,” and the sheriff said: “We've spoken briefly about it that decision would be made by them, so I would refer that to them.”
In connection with this case, the Appomattox County Sheriff’s Office has also charged 57-years-old DENNIS LEE MARTIN (pictured). MARTIN is charged with recklessly leaving a loaded and unsecured firearm so as to endanger a child, as well as willfully contributing to the delinquency of a child.
Needless to say that the sheriff’s office has not disclosed the young criminal’s identity, but has not commented either on the relation between the murderer and MARTIN.
Following the charges filed against the young murderer, PETA’s humane education division, TeachKind, sent an urgent letter to Annette A. Bennett, Ed.D., superintendent of Appomattox County Public Schools, along with kindness-to-animals curricula and Empathy Now, a guide to preventing violence by young people, for all educators in the district.
PETA Senior Director of Youth Programs Marta Holmberg rightfully said: “A young person going on a shooting spree against horses shows how critical it is to be taught compassion from an early age. Empathy can be developed, and TeachKind is on standby to help teach young people that violence is wrong, whether the victim is a horse or a human.”
The five wounded horses continue to receive veterinary care at the Appomattox Animal Control and thankfully are thankfully expected to survive.
The guardian of the horses said the vet bill is currently $6,000 and climbing and is asking for hay and food as well as monetary donations to be made through GoFundMe.
Carey Bailey -Dodson organized the fundraiser and when I checked I could see that $595 have been raised and that the fundraiser is no longer accepting donations.
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Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.
MARTIN’s mugshot provided to Voice For Us by the Appomattox County Sheriff’s Office.
Additional Sources:
Cruelty to the nth degree. Both of these humans must be charged, as adults. Don’t wait until this idiot decides humans make for better press. RIP BEAUTIFUL SOULS. Please get better to the five survivors.