Wylie allegedly didn't like her boyfriends dog, so her girlfriend drowned the 2-year-old dachshund named Dewey in a bathtub.
Wylie was jealous of the dog. Knowing the dog was dead she helped put up wanted posters to find the dog, and cried with her boyfriend and comforted him. Wylie and Walters, staged a burglary by slicing a screen while her boyfriend was at work.
Wylie, a hospital secretary, along with her girlfriend Shannon Walters faked a robbery by breaking into the home of Wylies boyfriend Pat Collins in Eliot Maine, stole his laptop computer, a camera and the dog. The two took the dog to Wylies home and drowned Dewey in the bathtub.
Walters was arrested on Friday, May 21, 2004 at 10pm in the parking lot of the Dairy Queen at the Kittery circle. It is alleged the women met there to discuss how to dispose of the remains of the dog which were stuffed in a garbage bag in the back of Walters truck. Wylie was arrested when she went to bail out Walters.
Walters, who worked at an insurance company, reportedly told the police that Wylie was Collin's girlfriend and did not like the dog. She further stated the burglary was staged so they could take the dog. Walters reportedly told the police she held the dog under water until it drowned, while Wylie waited in a nearby room.
The women were charged with felony burglary and receiving stolen property in Maine. Animal cruelty charges have not yet been filed by the Portsmouth NH police, pending further investigation. They were transported to the York County Jail in Maine, made bail and released. Their arraignment is scheduled for July 29th.
Police from Kittery and Eliot Maine along with Newmarket and Portsmouth, NH are involved in the investigation. The ruthless duo were caught because of a tip called into police after a woman saw some emails the 2 perpetrators had exchanged. Case Updates The final chapter in the Dewey the dog slaying case was penned recently in York County Superior Court, when Shannon Walters pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the incident. Walters, 35, of Newmarket, was sentenced to six months in jail after she was convicted of theft and cruelty to animal. The charges stem from the dognapping of Dewey from the Eliot home of Patrick Collins in May, 2004. A separate charge of burglary was dropped in exchange for the guilty plea, which was entered Feb. 23, 2006.
The sentence will be served concurrently with a jail term in New Hampshire, where the drowning death took place. Walters was sentenced in November 2005 in Rockingham Superior Court to one year in jail for her role. Co-defendant Erin Wylie has already pleaded guilty to charges in New Hampshire and Maine in connection with the incident. Walters� case in Maine was the final one to be adjudicated.
The charges stem from an incident that began in Eliot. Wylie, who was dating Collins, was jealous of his attention to the dog. Authorities said Wylie, with help from Walters, stole Dewey, wrapped the animal in a tightly closed bag, and brought it to Wylie�s Portsmouth apartment, where they drowned it in a bathtub.
The incident set off a wave of indignation and anger from animal rights activists, who attended the women�s court appearances in New Hampshire. York County District Attorney Mark Lawrence said his prime objective was to ensure Walters, and previously Wylie, was convicted of cruelty to animals �which obviously stays on her record. �This is about what happened to Dewey,� said Lawrence. | Source: Portsmouth Herald - March 20, 2006
Update posted on Mar 22, 2006 - 4:34PM |
A co-defendant in a high-profile dog drowning case was sentenced to a year in prison on an animal cruelty charge.
Shannon Walters, 35, of Newmarket, was led from Rockingham County Superior Court Wednesday to immediately begin the one-year prison term for her role in the drowning death of a dachshund named Dewey. Her attorney, Phil Desfosses, said with good behavior, Walters will be released after serving eight months.
Walters pleaded guilty to the May 2004 kidnapping and drowning of the pet, which belonged to the boyfriend of her friend and co-conspirator, Erin Wylie. Prosecutors said Wylie was jealous of the attention her boyfriend paid to the dog.
Wylie also pleaded guilty to related charges and received a one-year jail term.
Judge Tina Nadeau issued Walters� county prison sentence, in addition to giving her a two- to four-year state prison sentence for her guilty plea to a second charge of conspiracy. The conspiracy sentence is suspended, pending Walter�s good behavior, but can be imposed within five years of her release if she is arrested again.
Nadeau also ordered Walters to serve two years of probation following her release from prison, that she be prohibited for life from "animal ownership" and that she have no contact with Patrick Collins, the man whose dog she helped drown.
Desfosses told Nadeau that his client wanted to return the dog�s corpse to Collins, so he "could have some closure."
"To suggest they give Patrick closure by dumping his dead dog�s body in Kittery, Maine, is absolutely preposterous," said prosecutor Lisa Cirulli.
Cirulli asked the judge for a lengthier prison sentence, while Desfosses petitioned the court for home detention.
"Your conduct was troubling here," said Nadeau. "You planned to kill the dog for no other reason than petty jealousy. And you showed no remorse."
After the sentencing hearing, Cirulli expressed her opinion on Walters� new jail term.
"We recommended what we thought was appropriate," said Cirulli of her recommended two-and-one-half to five-year prison sentence.
Her supervisor, County Attorney Jim Reams, expressed a similar sentiment.
"I�m glad they�re receiving jail time," he said, "but I think we should send a stronger message."
Desfosses disagreed.
"Not being critical of the judge, but I think the only reason either woman went to jail is because this case involved an animal," said the defense attorney. "There was so much publicity. People were saying this was analogous to child abuse, and it�s not. More people commit very serious crimes and get probation."
A small gathering of animal activists came to the Nov. 30 sentencing hearing and have been following the case closely. In spite of his client�s guilty plea, which he�d advised against, Desfosses disagreed with descriptions of the events as animal cruelty.
"If that�s cruelty, than every slaughterhouse in America should be closed," he said. | Source: Portsmouth Herald - Nov 30, 2005
Update posted on Dec 1, 2005 - 1:24AM |
In Maine, burglary is a Class B felony carrying a maximum 10-year jail term with a conviction. A Jan. 26 hearing has been set in York County Superior Court, in Maine, to determine whether Walters� case will go to trial.
Both states bolstered their cases after a New Hampshire judge denied an attempt by Walters� lawyer, Philip Desfosses, to have confidential e-mails between the two women thrown out of court. Desfosses had claimed that the e-mails - which are said to detail the women�s plot - were obtained from Walters� computer without her consent, thus violating wiretap laws.
A similar motion to suppress evidence in Maine has been withdrawn, Lawrence said. | Source: Portsmouth Herald - Oct 18, 2005
Update posted on Oct 20, 2005 - 1:06AM |
Shannon Walters pleaded guilty Wednesday (Oct 12) to animal cruelty and conspiracy to commit burglary charges. Walters, 34, faces a maximum up to four years in prison when she is sentenced Nov. 30.
Walters admitted to helping her friend, Erin Wylie, 28, plot the demise of Wylie's 2-year-old dog, Dewey. Wylie had complained that her boyfriend, Patrick Collins, paid too much attention to his pet.
"Shannon was close friends with Erin and she did this just to help her out," Walters' defense lawyer, Philip Desfosses, said. "It was Erin's idea. She never met Mr. Collins or the dog."
Wylie was sentenced to 12 months in prison Sept. 28 on the same charges. During her court sentencing, she said her motive was "petty jealousy."
On the night of May 18, 2004, Walters and Wylie broke into Collins' home in Eliot, Maine, and kidnapped the dog. While Walters acted as a lookout, Wylie stole a laptop and video camera to make the break-in look like a common burglary.
The women transported the dog to Wylie's house in Portsmouth, N.H., a border town just a few miles from Maine. According to court documents, Wylie filled her bathtub with water, and Walters held Dewey's head underneath.
The next day, Wylie e-mailed Walters, saying she had helped her boyfriend search for a dog she knew "they would never find."
"I don't feel guilty about yesterday," Wylie wrote.
The women had planned to meet at a Dairy Queen and dispose of the dog's body, but Walters' neighbor intercepted a series of e-mails disclosing details of the killing.
The neighbor, Traci York, often babysat Walters' daughter in exchange for Internet and e-mail access. The women shared an e-mail account and a password until York accused Walters of having an affair with her husband, James.
Although Walters changed her password, York allegedly installed a device on the computer to continue accessing her e-mail. On May 21, 2005, she discovered the e-mails between Wylie and Walters and contacted police.
Det. Jeffery Shisler of Maine's Kittery Police Department waited for Walters in the Dairy Queen parking lot and searched her truck after she arrived.
"The defendant became nervous and asked the detective what he was looking for," court documents state. "He told her he was looking for a dead dog."
Walters then pointed to a white kitchen bag in the back of her truck.
Although Walters initially told Shisler she had found the body on the side of the road, she later admitted the dog belonged to Collins.
Wylie, who joined her friend later that evening, told police she did not like Dewey and had wished the dog were dead.
"Erin was very, very jealous of Dewey," Assistant County Attorney Lisa Cirulli said during Wylie's court hearing, according to The Union Leader newspaper.
At her sentencing, Wylie tearfully apologized to her boyfriend.
"I'm very sorry for what I did. I wish I could go back and undo all the hurt I caused," Wylie told Collins. "I hope there is some way you can find it in your heart to forgive me." | Source: Court TV - Oct 13, 2005
Update posted on Oct 13, 2005 - 5:32PM |
| A Portsmouth woman pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year in prison for her role in the drowning of her former boyfriend's dog last year. Erin Wylie, 28, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of animal cruelty and one count of theft relating to the death of Dewey, a miniature dachshund who belonged to Patrick Collins of Eliot, Maine. She had allegedly conspired with Shannon Walters of Newmarket, who is scheduled to appear in Rockingham County Superior Court on Oct. 17. Both women also face related charges in Maine. | Source: Boston.Com - Sept 29, 2005
Update posted on Sep 29, 2005 - 9:10PM |
Judge Tina Nadeau has decided to allow crucial evidence against two women charged in the drowning death of a miniature dachshund, reversing her earlier ruling to ban the evidence at trial.
According to the Rockingham Superior Court judge�s ruling, prosecutors are now permitted to use sensitive e-mail messages allegedly sent between defendants Erin Wylie and Shannon Walters in their case against defendants Erin Wylie and Shannon Walters, whose trials are scheduled to start this fall
The e-mails allegedly implicate Wylie and Walters in the May 2004 abduction and death of a pet dog, named Dewey, that had belonged to Wylie�s ex-boyfriend, Pat Collins. Police say the correspondence led them to find the dead animal in Walters� truck.
In June, Nadeau had granted a motion by the defense to quash the e-mails - and the related discovery of the dog�s body - from evidence in the upcoming trials, citing state law banning unconsented wiretap. Nadeau ruled that Walter�s neighbor had used spying software to read the e-mails without Walters� knowledge.
But in her decision Monday, Nadeau ruled in favor of the prosecution, which argued in a subsequent motion that the e-mails did not qualify as the type of telecommunications governed by the wiretap law. Prosecutors had not made this argument in the court hearing, Nadeau wrote in her decision.
"We thought her original decision was wrong, so we�re glad she took another look at it," said Rockingham County Attorney Jim Reams.
For a judge to reverse a prior decision without an appeal is rare. Reams said he had seen it happen just once or twice since 1999.
Walters, a Newmarket resident, is scheduled to stand trial starting Sept. 12. The trial for Wylie, of Portsmouth, is scheduled to begin Oct. 24. Each could face a maximum of 51 years in prison if convicted of all charges against them, including felony animal cruelty.
Prosecutors allege the two defendants stole the pet from Collins� Eliot, Maine, home, transported it by car in a plastic bag and then drowned it in a bathtub in Wylie�s Portsmouth home.
They also face charges in Maine of allegedly stealing property from Collins� home.
Attorneys for both Wylie and Walters could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
"It may very well be that the defense tries to appeal this because it�s such a significant ruling," said Reams.
At a Glance:
What's New:
Nadeau reversed that decision on Monday, ruling that the e-mails can be used because they are not governed by a state of law that bans unconsented wiretaps. She will also allow additional evidence tipped off to police by the e-mails.
What's Next: Pending any appeals of Nadeau's most recent ruling, Walters' trial is scheduled to start on Sept. 12. Wylies trial is set to begin Oct. 24. | Source: Sea Coast Online - Aug 10, 2005
Update posted on Aug 10, 2005 - 1:26PM |
The trials of two Seacoast women accused of killing a pet dachshund last year are scheduled for the fall, even though the admissibility of key evidence is still at issue.
Shannon Walters, of Newmarket, could stand trial as soon as Sept. 12 on charges that she and Erin Wylie, of Portsmouth, stole and drowned Dewey - the pet dog that police say came between Wylie and her then-boyfriend.
Wylie?s trial on felony theft and animal-cruelty charges is scheduled to start Oct. 24. Each could face a maximum prison term of 51 years.
Yet the trial dates are in question, say lawyers, in a case bogged down by several legal issues and delays since the women were indicted last August. A possible state Supreme Court fight looms over whether prosecutors can use the e-mails allegedly sent between Walters and Wylie that, authorities say, detail their plot.
"This case is very likely to end up in the Supreme Court at some point," said lawyer Philip Desfosses, who represents Walters. "There are more legal issues in this case than in any case I?ve ever seen."
Last month, Rockingham Superior Court Judge Tina Nadeau ruled that the e-mails were intercepted illegally by a neighbor with whom Walters shared Internet service. In a 15-page order, Nadeau threw the e-mails out of both trials, citing state law banning certain wiretaps.
Rockingham County Attorney Jim Reams has called for an appeal of the ruling to the state?s high court. However, appeals of orders in criminal cases are handled by the state attorney general?s office.
"We have not decided that, nor will we for at least a week or so," assistant Attorney General Susan McGinnis said of whether the office will appeal.
Walters and Wylie, who were arrested in May 2004, are accused of stealing the dog from the Eliot, Maine, home of Patrick Collins, Wylie?s ex-boyfriend, and then crossing the state border before allegedly drowning it in Wylie?s bath tub. Authorities say Wylie was jealous of the attention Collins paid the dog.
In her ruling, Nadeau denied Desfosses' motion to throw out as well confessions the women allegedly made to police. Desfosses, who claims the confessions were made before the women were read their Miranda rights, said he plans to file a motion to reconsider that part of the ruling. | Source: Sea Coast Online - July 14, 2005
Update posted on Jul 25, 2005 - 5:54AM |
A judge ruled Friday that sensitive e-mails allegedly sent between two women accused of drowning a pet dog were seized illegally and so cannot be used in their animal-cruelty trial.
Shannon Walters and Erin Wylie could each face a maximum of 51 years in prison if convicted of the theft, torture and killing of Dewey, the pet dog taken from the home of Wylie�s ex-boyfriend last year.
Rockingham County Superior Court Judge Tina Nadeau agreed with the defense that Walters� neighbor had installed spy software on her computer and had "surreptitiously" gained data that implicated both Walters and Wylie in the crime.
In a blow to the prosecution, Nadeau ruled the interception violated a state law banning wiretapping without consent. She also threw out the police�s discovery of the dead dog in Walters� truck because the e-mails, Nadeau ruled, had led police to the finding.
The judge, however, will allow confessions the two defendants allegedly made to police - also challenged by the defense - to be used at trial.
Rockingham County Attorney Jim Reams disagreed with the ruling barring the e-mails, and called on the state attorney general to appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court.
"We need something beyond the confessions, but we still might be able to build a case. We�re not dropping the case," Reams said.
In court, defense lawyer Philip Desfosses argued that Walters� neighbor, Traci York, was "out to get his client" because her husband, James York, had expressed romantic feelings for Walters.
The computer interception resulted from an earlier pact between the neighbors to share Internet service in their Newmarket duplex in exchange for the Yorks� time baby-sitting Walters� daughter.
But the once congenial relationship soured, Desfosses argued, and Nadeau ultimately concluded, that the Yorks installed a "keylogger" program on Walters� computer to steal her e-mail password.
Last August, Walters and Wylie were indicted on separate counts of conspiracy, theft by receiving stolen property and cruelty to animals. Police alleged that, in May 2004, they stole the dog and other property from the Eliot, Maine, home of Pat Collins, Wylie�s ex-boyfriend.
They then transported the dog in a closed bag to Wylie�s home in Portsmouth and allegedly drowned it in a bathtub, police said.
The incident drew national coverage and led local animal rights advocates to launch the "Justice for Dewey" movement, which has included an online petition and a series of rallies centered on the case meant to highlight animal-abuse crimes.
Desfosses, who had moved to suppress the evidence, could not be reached for comment. No trial date has been scheduled.
At a Glance:
Last we knew: Testimony ended in a pretrial hearing on whether intercepted e-mails and police interviews could be used against two women charged with drowning Dewey, a pet dachshund that went missing last year.
What's new: Jude Tina Nadeau threw out the e-mails Friday, as well as the discovery by police of the dead dog in a defendant's truck. She ruled the e-mails, which allegedly led police to the dead animal, were illegally obtained, but that alleged confessions the women later gave police are admissible.
What's next: Rockingham County Attorney Jim Reams said Monday he has asked the state attorney general's office to appeal Nadeau's decision to the state Supreme Court. No trial date is scheduled. | Source: Sea Coast Online - June 28, 2005
Update posted on Jun 28, 2005 - 6:29PM |
The latest delay in the trials of two women charged with animal cruelty in the death of a pet dog is being blamed on a prosecutor, who has been suspended by the county attorney�s office.
Superior Court Judge Tina Nadeau on Thursday canceled an evidence-suppression hearing in the cases of Shannon Walters and Erin Wylie after attorneys discovered that prosecutor Matthew Allen did not inform the defense of follow-up interviews with key witnesses.
Wylie and Walters are accused of stealing the pet, a dachshund named Dewey that belonged to Wylie�s ex-boyfriend, from its Eliot, Maine, home and then returning to Portsmouth where they allegedly drowned the dog.
Allen�s suspension from the county attorney�s office was not specifically related to the animal-cruelty case, said Rockingham County Attorney Jim Reams, but rather was a result of his "performance generally."
"In the long run, it won�t affect the case at all," Reams explained. "Since the delay was caused by mistakes that my staff made, we have no place to complain about the delay, so we�ll accept it."
The case has been reassigned to prosecutor Lisa Cirulli, who discovered Allen�s failure to turn over the interviews. According to Reams, the witnesses had obtained e-mail messages sent between the two women, which allegedly detail their alleged plot.
Those e-mails, which were subsequently handed over to police, are partly the basis of defense attorney Philip Desfosses� motion to suppress their admission as evidence in the trial. Desfosses, who represents Walters, argues that interception of the e-mails without the women�s consent is illegal.
"It�s clear that the people that turned them over to the police stole them from someone else�s computer without their permission," said Desfosses.
The suppression hearing has been delayed several times since January, but this was the first time it was done so at the request of the prosecution, said Reams. A hearing scheduled for March 5 was delayed so that Desfosses could attend another trail. Judge Nadeau was unavailable for a hearing scheduled for Jan. 24.
The suppression hearing now is set for May 20.
Present for Thursday�s hearing were activists from Another Chance Animal Rescue, a Maine-based animal rights group that has kept close watch on the case since Wylie and Walters were arrested last May.
"We want to make sure that these women get the maximum penalty for what they did so that animal abusers get the message that it won�t be tolerated," said Lynn Manley, vice president of the organization. | Source: Sea Coast Online - April 22, 2005
Update posted on Apr 23, 2005 - 1:46PM |
In his latest effort to protect his client, Phil Desfossess, a defense attorney representing Walters has filed a motion to suppress evidence in the case.
Walters, along with Erin M. Wylie, 27, of 50 Harvard St., Portsmouth, has been charged with theft and cruelty to animals in New Hampshire and Maine.
The two women were initially arrested by Kittery police and charged with felony counts of receiving stolen property. The dog along with electronic equipment had been stolen by the two woman from the Eliot, Maine apartment of Wylie�s former boyfriend.
Newmarket police had received a tip concerning an e-mail conversation between the two women in which they were discussing what to do with the dog�s body.
Desfosses claims the e-mails were intercepted illegally.
He also moved to suppress all evidence derived from questioning by Kittery Police Officer Jeff Shisler. Desfosses claimed Shisler questioned Walter�s without informing her of her Miranda rights.
According to Newmarket Police Chief Rodney Collins, the informant told Newmarket police officer Wayne Stevens that one of the women had been keeping the dog�s remains in a toolbox in the back of her truck, and that the two had arranged to meet at the Dairy Queen at the Kittery Traffic Circle at 10 p.m. to determine where to dispose of the dog�s body.
After being contacted by Newmarket police, Kittery police went to the Dairy Queen and arrested Walters after finding the dog in the tool box in the rear of her blue Chevrolet pickup truck.
In June, Desfosses argued unsuccessfully in Portsmouth District Court that the charges against Walters should be reduced to a misdemeanor.
Desfossess said that if Walters did in fact hold the dog under water as is alleged, it would have simply been to end the dog�s suffering.
Desfosses based his argument on the testimony of Portsmouth Police Patrolman Darrin Sargent. Sargent testified on the witness stand that Walters said the dog had already been in "poor condition" prior to the drowning.
During an interview following Walters� arrest, Sargent said Walters explained a wool sock had been placed over the dog�s head before it was transported to Wylie�s Portsmouth apartment.
Sargent said Walters, who claimed to have once worked as a veterinary technician, told him it didn�t take long for Dewey to expire, as he was already near death. | Source: Fosters Online - Dec 9, 2004
Update posted on Dec 14, 2004 - 4:06AM |
One of two women accused of drowning a dog in a bathtub in what was supposed to be a "mercy killing" has pleaded not guilty to charges of animal cruelty.
Shannon Walters, 34, of Newmarket is charged with animal cruelty in the death of Dewey, a miniature dachshund owned by her friend's former boyfriend. She was arraigned Wednesday in York County Superior Court in Alfred, Maine.
Walters' codefendant, Erin M. Wylie, 27, of Portsmouth pleaded not guilty on Oct. 28. Wylie was indicted last summer by a York County grand jury on counts of burglary, conspiracy, and theft.
The women are accused of putting a wool sock over the dog's head and carrying it to Wylie's apartment in a garment bag. Both were indicted in New Hampshire and Maine but waived their right to arraignment in New Hampshire.
Wylie's case will go to trial in Rockingham County Superior Court in Brentwood on Feb. 28. Walters' trial is scheduled for March 14, according to the county attorney's office.
A Portsmouth District Court judge found probable cause in Walters' New Hampshire case in July after prosecutors argued that putting a sock over the dog's face, stuffing it in a bag and later drowning it constituted torture.
Portsmouth lawyer Phil Desfosses argued during a hearing that if Walters held the dog under water, it was to end the dog's suffering.
Desfosses based his argument on police testimony that indicated the dog already was in "poor condition" before the drowning.
The dog, along with some electronic equipment, had been taken from Wylie's ex-boyfriend's apartment in what was staged as a burglary.
Police have said Walters had a limited role during the break-in, serving primarily as "lookout" and watching Wylie collect various items, including the dog. | Source: The Union Leader - Nov 12, 2004
Update posted on Nov 14, 2004 - 8:07AM |
Erin M. Wylie, 27, of 50 Harvard St., entered a plea of not-guilty before York County Superior Court Judge Arthur Brennan. She is now awaiting a trial date and is free on $1,000 bail.
Wylie was indicted last month by a York County grand jury on a Class B felony charge of burglary and Class D misdemeanor charges of theft by unauthorized taking and cruelty to animals.
Walters was also indicted in the case and faces identical charges in Maine. Her arraignment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 10 in York County Superior Court.
Both defendants also face charges in Rockingham County Superior Court in New Hampshire in connection with the case.
Wylie declined to comment after her court hearing Thursday. Her attorney, Ron Caron, of Saco, also declined to comment. | Source: Portsmouth Herald - Oct 29, 2004
Update posted on Oct 29, 2004 - 8:51AM |
A York County grand jury has indicted the two Seacoast women accused of stealing and drowning a pet dachshund last May.
The grand jury on Sept. 10 handed up identical Class B felony burglary, Class D misdemeanor theft by unauthorized taking and Class D misdemeanor cruelty to animals indictments against Shannon C. Walters, 34, of 5 Nichols Ave., Newmarket, N.H., and Erin M. Wylie, 27, of 50 Harvard St., Portsmouth, N.H.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt but rather a jury's determination that enough evidence exists to bring the case to trial.
If convicted in Maine, both women could face a maximum prison sentence of 17 years in prison. Prosecuting the case in York County Superior Court will be Assistant District Attorney Jeff Moskowitz, according to York County District Attorney Mark Lawrence.
Walters is represented by attorney Phil Desfosses of Portsmouth; Wylie has hired Saco, Maine, lawyer Ron Caron.
Walters and Wylie were both indicted in connection with the case in New Hampshire earlier this year.
In the Granite State, a Rockingham County grand jury indicted each defendant on one Class A felony of theft by receiving stolen property, one Class A and one Class B felony count of conspiracy, and two Class B felony counts of cruelty to animals.
If convicted of those charges, each woman could face a maximum penalty of 51 years in prison.
Wylie�s New Hampshire trial has been set for Feb. 28, 2005. Walters will go to trial on March 14, 2005, according to a Rockingham County Superior Court clerk. | Source: Sea Coast Online - Sept 15, 2004
Update posted on Sep 16, 2004 - 10:36AM |
| Maine prosecutors have put more bite into their cases against the two Seacoast women, adding felony conspiracy and theft charges against the defendants. | Source: Sea Coast Online - July 30, 2004
Update posted on Aug 9, 2004 - 8:03PM |
Jean Slepian, an animal-rights activist from Stoddard, has scheduled a "Justice for Dewey" demonstration for Aug. 4. The event will take place outside the Rockingham County Superior Courthouse in Brentwood from 8 to 11 a.m.
The public is welcome to attend, Slepian said.
Both women have pleaded not guilty to the charges, and their cases are scheduled to be heard by a Rockingham County grand jury.
In Maine, both Walters and Wylie face still other charges in connection with the alleged crime. There, they will be arraigned in York District Court on July 29.
Slepian planned the "Justice for Dewey" rally to raise public awareness about animal-abuse crimes and to register public outrage with prosecutors. | | Update posted on Jul 24, 2004 - 12:38AM |
| Walters, who is accused of killing the dog on May 18, has pleaded not guilty to a Class B felony animal-cruelty charge. Tuesday was Walters� probable-cause hearing and her first court appearance in the case. Wylie�s probable-cause hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on July 13 in Portsmouth District Court. | | Update posted on Jul 8, 2004 - 8:37PM |
Walters and Wylie were scheduled to be arraigned in the case on Monday June 21, 2004 in Portsmouth District Court. But through their attorneys, they have waived their rights to that court hearing and have already pleaded not guilty to felony animal-cruelty charges.
The women also face felony charges of burglary and misdemeanor charges of receiving stolen property in the Maine court system. Walters and Wylie have yet to enter pleas on those charges. They are scheduled to be arraigned on July 29,2004, according to clerks at Maine District Court in York, Maine. | | Update posted on Jun 20, 2004 - 12:58PM |
Wylie and Walters were charged with animal cruelty by the Portsmouth NH on Sunday 5/23/04. Wylie was charged as an accomplice to the act. The 2 women turned themselves into the police, after arrest warrants were issued.
To cover her tracks, Wylie placed an advertisement in the Lost and Found section of the Portsmouth Herald on Thursday, May 20th. The Portsmouth Herald graciously ran the ad for free from Friday May 21st to Monday May 24th. A Herald advertising representative realized on Monday morning that the ad was bogus, while watching televised news about the case.
Walters was released on $10,000 personal recognizance bail. Wylie was released on $5000 personal recognizance bail and $170 cash bail. The two will be arraigned in Portsmouth District Court on June 21st at 8:30am.
The two each face a Class C felony burglary and a Class D misdemeanor for receiving stolen property in Maine. Walters was release on $1500 cash bail and Wylie was released on $1000 cash bail from the York County Jail in Alfred Maine on Saturday 5/22/04.
If convicted on animal cruelty charges the women could spend 3.5 to 7 years in prison. If convicted on the burglary charges, they could serve up to 5 years in prison. If convicted of receiving stolen property they could face up to 1 year in jail. | | Update posted on May 26, 2004 - 12:07PM |
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