- Indiana, USA -
~ Update: March 12, 2022
The jury in the trial of 68-years-old JOHN WILLIAM HILL (pictured below) accused of mutilating his dog named Chance by repeatedly hitting him in the head with a hammer concluded that HILL is not guilty.
On February 18, 2021, a witness called the South Bend Police Department reporting that HILL was beating a dog with a hammer and burying the furbaby in the snow.
WNDU reports that HILL appeared at the St. Joseph County courthouse and testified on his own behalf Friday, March 11, 2022, “to explain how his actions came from good intentions.”
HILL said that he took Chance out to go to the bathroom and he started vomiting and having convulsive seizures. That’s when he said he decided to put the Chance down, but without owning a gun, he used a hammer.
The police officer who responded to the scene after the call said during her testimony that she found Chance whimpering under a blanket of snow when she arrived.
The officer also stated that she had found a hammer with dog hair on it inside HILL’s home.
The officer showed the jury this evidence as well as bodycam footage during her response to the 911 call.
Among the witnesses there was also the owner of the animal hospital that cared for Chance.
The defense argued that this evidence doesn’t prove HILL’s malicious intent.
While they didn’t deny the actions in court, they argue this was HILL’s attempt to euthanize an old, sick animal.
Reporter Jack Springgate with WNDU said that while many people have reached out after the verdict expressing outrage with the result, that doesn’t mean HILL’s actions were criminal.
“To understand why, we have to take a look at a specific Indiana code that deals with miscellaneous animal crimes”, he said.
Here is how WNDU explains that code:
“That’s Indiana Code 35-46-3 which not only defines the crime HILL was accused of but also the conditions where someone is exempt from that crime.
Under that code, a person is not committing this crime if their actions involve the killing of an injured or ill animal to prevent it from prolonged suffering.
That code also exempts humane destruction for any reason of an animal that the person owns from being considered a crime.”
Peter Britton, HILL’s public defender, said during the closing statements, “When Mr. Hill took [Chance] out into the back yard, he was doing it to try and prevent the prolonged suffering of an animal that was clearly ill...When you look at our law, agree with it or not, it’s not a crime.”
The murderer ends up being acquitted of the only charge against him and will face no further penalties.
~ Original story:
The South Bend Police Department wrote in a Facebook post that on Thursday, February 18, a call came in reporting that someone was beating a dog with a hammer and burying the furbaby in the snow.
At around 1:40 p.m., Sgt. Riddle and Officer Hof responded to a property in the 200 block of E Altgeld.
They immediately dug the furbaby out of the snow.
While Officer Hof rushed the poor dog to a local animal clinic, Sgt. Riddle began tracking down the suspect.
Sadly, the innocent dog had to be euthanized.
In connection with this senseless and cruel act, 67-year-old JOHN WILLIAM HILL (pictured below) was arrested for cruelty to animals, a Level 6 Felony.
Jonathan Bailey, with abc57News, interviewed the neighbor who witnessed the crime.
He did not want to be identified but told Mr. Bailey: “I was in shock and really did not know what to think at the time. I went to close the shades when I saw him with the hammer and he starts swinging it so I looked over the fence and I can see him hitting his dog over and over again in the head. My adrenaline started rushing and it was really hard to watch. He hit the dog probably 20 to 30 times in total.”
There was another dog inside HILL’s house and thankfully the furbaby was removed and is now safe in the hands of South Bend Animal Control.
Other neighbors are saying that HILL also has a big bird and a few cats in his home.
HILL booked into the St. Joseph County Jail.
This case is being sent to the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office for formal charges review.
The murderer’s first court appearance has not been set yet.
In a subsequent post, the Department expressed gratitude toward “the individual who called police” and “the Roseland Animal Hospital for doing everything they could to help this poor dog.”
In a fair world HILL would have been instantly euthanized because in our society there should be no room for individuals like him.
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Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.