Franklin County man killed brother's dogs because neglect and aggression, police say
A Chambersburg man who is facing felony animal cruelty charges for killing his brother's three dogs two years ago told authorities he shot the animals because they were aggressive and being neglected, according to court documents filed by Pennsylvania State Police.
Logan Gunner Spoonhour, 23, is charged with aggravated animal cruelty and related offenses, according to online court records. He was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Kelly Rock on Wednesday morning, and is free on $10,000 unsecured bail.
Suspect's father claimed he shot the dogs
The police investigation began on Aug. 16, 2022, when Spoonhour's brother and a woman reported their three dogs missing from their home in the 3000 block of Social Island Circle, Guilford Township, police wrote in court documents.
Spoonhour's father, who lives on a neighboring property but owns both of them, told police he shot the dogs with a .22-caliber rifle and buried them on the property. He led police to the "exact location" where the dogs were buried and surrendered the Rossi Model 62 SA rifle he said he used to shoot them, according to court documents.
The dogs' owners described them as pit bulls: a dark brown male named "Spanky" was kept in the garage; "Wiley" was a brown male kept in the rear end of the home; and "Emma," a black female, was kept in the front area of the house.
Authorities exhumed the bodies of the three dogs from the burial site behind the home. They matched the descriptions provided by the owners.
In a second interview two weeks later, Spoonhour's father admitted his son killed and buried the dogs. He said he made false statements before because he was trying to protect Spoonhour from criminal prosecution, according to court documents.
Modern policing: Tips have been pouring in for most cases at Chambersburg Police Department. Here's why.
Spoonhour: Dog's attack was 'last straw'
In an interview soon after his father's admission, Spoonhour told police he shot and killed the dogs on Aug. 12, 2022, in part because he was angry that his brother left for a vacation while "ignoring the problem of his dogs," according to court documents. The dog Emma attacking his dog was the "last straw," he told police.
Spoonhour said that on the day he killed the dogs, his brother's house smelled "horrible" and had dog cages "everywhere." This is consistent with the "unsanitary conditions throughout the entire structure" police found when they searched the house the first day, according to court documents.
Police "detected a strong odor of ammonia and viewed piles of feces throughout the area where the dogs were living. We also observed multiple dog cages filled with newspapers soiled with feces and urine. (Police) further observed food and water inside one room of the residence," police wrote in court documents.
Blood splatter and droplets were also found in the home.
Describing how he killed the dogs, Spoonhour said he took the gun from a safe, entered his brother's home, put Emma on a leash and walked her to the hole in the yard (court documents do not say when it was dug). Emma jumped in the hole on her own, and he shot her in the back of the head, police said.
Back in the house, Spoonhour said he located a brown dog that appeared aggressive, so he shot it and put the body in the hole with the first dog, according to court documents.
The bullet hit the dog -- later identified as Wiley -- around his ear. Evidence in the house indicated that the dog moved around the room after being shot and suffered before it died, police wrote in court documents.
After leaving the house, Spoonhour said he went to his brother's garage. The garage door was strapped shut, and a dog was inside. He said he put the dog, Spanky, on a leash, shot it in the back of the head and buried it in the hole.
By burying the dogs, Spoonhour attempted to conceal the evidence of the crimes of killing the dogs, police said.
Spoonhour was formally charged on April 22. Court documents do not explain why it took more than a year after Spoonhour confessed to killing the dogs for charges to be filed.
Spoonhour is charged with four felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals (three for serious bodily injury or death, and one count for torture), three misdemeanor counts each of cruelty to animals, neglect of animals-vet care and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, one felony count of discharging a firearm into an occupied structure, and one misdemanor count of possession of an instrument of crime with intent, according to court records.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. May 7 in Franklin County Central Court.
Animal abuse: Franklin County man killed dog in abuse reported by 3 people, police say
Brother charged with neglect
Douglas Spoonhour Jr. was charged Wednesday with three misdemeanor counts of neglect of animals- shelter/protection, court records show. The offense date listed is Aug. 12, 2022, which is the day Logan Spoonhour shot the dogs.
As of Wednesday evening, no charges have been filed against Douglas Spoonhour Sr. or anyone else named in court documents.
Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Animal cruelty: Chambersburg man charged in killing of 3 pit bulls
