Hunker men accused of shooting dogs say they shot them after peacock's killing

Two men were charged Wednesday in connection with the December fatal shooting of two dogs that were later found in a wooded area of Hunker.

State police said James P. Hill, 76, and his neighbor Jason W. Beal, 35, shot and killed Hagrid, 5, and Aspen, 4. The bodies of the dogs were found Dec. 4 by hunters.

The men told investigators the shooting was precipitated by a fatal attack on Beal’s peacock, according to court papers released by police.

Caraline McElfresh, who owned the dogs with husband Skyler Zimmerman, said it has been quiet the last few months without the dogs, which were never aggressive to humans or other animals. While she feels bad about the peacock’s death, she said the stories don’t add up.

“They just didn’t call the number on the collars,” she said. “We’re two seconds down the road.”

Hagrid, a German shepherd mix, and Aspen, an Alaskan malamute, went missing two days before their bodies were located. Troopers learned from witnesses that the two dogs were found with gunshot wounds by hunters who reported that the animals were in brush and it “appeared as if they were just tossed there,” according to court papers.

The dead peacock was nearby, police said.

Troopers determined that a Faust Hill Road man owned peacocks, which they said led them to interview Hill and Beal.

Hill told authorities he saw the dogs running around his neighbor’s property and outdoor animal pens and learned they had killed a peacock. Hill said Hagrid began acting aggressively toward him. He initially claimed he stepped into a small hole while walking backward with his finger on the trigger of a shotgun when the weapon fired, but he later told troopers he intended to kill the dog.

Hill told police he shot twice at Aspen. Beal fatally shot the dog then disposed of all three bodies, including his peacock, according to court papers. He took the dogs’ collars, tags that contained information about their owners, and threw them away, troopers said.

Beal is charged with cruelty to animals, tampering with evidence, criminal mischief and theft. Hill is facing charges of cruelty to animals and tampering with evidence.

When reached by phone Wednesday, Beal said he was protecting his young children, family and pets.

“My neighbor’s the one that shot the dogs. I told the cops that,” he said, adding that he shot Aspen because the animal was wounded in his driveway.

When asked why he didn’t contact the dogs’ owners or police, Beal said his neighbor indicated he wasn’t going to report the situation, so he didn’t want to turn the man in.

A woman who answered the phone at Hill’s home declined to comment. His attorney could not be reached.

The charges were being mailed by summons. Preliminary hearings are set for April 20.