Teen Mom 2's Jenelle Evans Wanted 'Publicity,' Lied About Husband Killing Her Dog, Police Say

Jenelle Evans’ husband David Eason will not face animal cruelty charges for allegedly shooting and killing the reality star’s dog after the former Teen Mom 2 star told investigators she’d fabricated the story for publicity.

The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office announced the news in a statement obtained by PEOPLE Thursday, saying Evans’ admission came after several visits to the family’s home, none of which yielded any physical evidence to back up the claims.

Authorities said they launched an investigation into the incident on May 1 after Evans called the sheriff’s office and said Eason had thrown her dog outside on April 29 for biting their 2-year-old daughter Ensley.

Evans, 27, claimed Eason subsequently shot the pooch, though she did not witness the incident and only heard a gunshot.

The same day that Evans called the sheriff’s office, authorities visited Eason’s home as a follow-up to a previous welfare check and found a juvenile who “appeared to be in good health.”

Two weeks later, on May 13, a search warrant was executed on Eason’s home, and authorities said they found no weapons, blood evidence, or anything else that could confirm a dog had been shot and killed on the property.

The next day, Evans spoke with Columbus County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigators about her allegations, and police said her accounts were “inconsistent” with her original story, as she told investigators this time that she did not hear or see anything to indicate Eason had shot her dog.

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“Jenelle advised that ‘She don’t know where the dog is.’ She also advised that ‘I don’t know if she was shot or killed or not,’” the statement read. “Jenelle stated that the reason she filed the animal cruelty report was for the publicity and because she did not know where her dog was.”

The sheriff’s office said the investigation would be closed, with no charges filed against Eason.

RELATED: Jenelle Evans Breaks Silence on Being Fired from Teen Mom 2: ‘I’m Working to Fix My Marriage’

The update from the sheriff’s office comes just two days after Evans, who recently regained custody of her children, seemingly confirmed that Eason killed her dog in an Instagram Story.

“Honestly, yes, we were on bad terms for almost a week. Didn’t talk much. He knows how upset it made me,” she replied to a user who asked if it was a “hard decision to stay with David.”

“Now that we are getting over this incident our relationship has got a lot stronger,” she said, adding that Eason has completed anger management.

Eason previously shared a video of the dog, Nugget, becoming aggressive toward Ensley as she tried to hug him, as well as a photo that showed a scratch mark on the toddler’s face.

RELATED: Jenelle Evans Seemingly Confirms David Eason Killed Her Dog: ‘He Knows How Upset It Made Me’

“I don’t give a damn what animal bites my baby on the face… whether it be your dog or mine, a dog is a dog and I don’t put up with that s— at all,” he wrote. “I’m all about protecting my family, it is my life’s mission. Some people are worth killing or dying for and my family means that much to me. You can hate me all you want but this isn’t the first time the dog bit Ensley aggressively. The only person that can judge wether or not a animal is a danger to MY CHILD is ME.”

Shortly after, Evans confirmed the French Bulldog’s death on Instagram.

“Nugget… I’m crying everyday,” she wrote. “I love you so much and I’m so sorry. I’m speechless.”

A source told PEOPLE at the time that the incident had put a strain on the couple’s marriage.

“David shot the dog after it came after Ensley,” the source said. “Jenelle has all the kids with her and is not talking to David right now. She’s very upset and is taking time to figure out what she wants to do.”

Evans was fired from Teen Mom 2 in light of the headline-grabbing incident.

A rep for the reality star did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.