BREAKING NEWS: Two men accused of dog abuse found 'not guilty'
Jul. 15—LONDON — Almost two years after they were charged with torturing a dog and causing its death, two Laurel men were found not guilty of those charges by a Laurel County jury.
The six-man, six-woman jury took only 10 minutes to consider the evidence presented during the one-day trial on Wednesday against 21-year-old Toby Glen Harrison of East Bernstadt and 20-year-old Noah Andrew Blevins of London before returning the not guilty verdict.
Neither Harrison nor Blevins took the stand in their defense, although the Commonwealth Attorney's office called five witnesses to tell the story of the abuse of the stray dog on July 31, 2019.
The two young men were charged with torture of a dog and second-degree cruelty to animals stemming from an incident in which a social media post showed a male striking a dog. The dog was later found with serious injuries from stab wounds and died.
Audra Quinn Sizemore recognized the dog in the video as a stray that had been coming around her home for a week prior to the incident. After seeing the video, she and another young man searched for the dog, finding it at the edge of a wooded area on her property. The dog, according to her testimony, was alive but in serious condition.
"It was breathing but there were bloody spots. Its eyes were open and blinking, its mouth was open and its tongue hanging out," Sizemore said. "There were three or four spots with blood tangled in its hair."
Sizemore and the male loaded the dog into Sizemore's car and she then traveled to Animal House veterinary clinic on North Laurel Road in the Pittsburg area, only to find the facility closed. She then traveled to Cumberland Valley Animal Hospital on KY 229 — again, finding it closed. Sizemore said she was traveling along Main Street when the dog's breathing changed and it stopped breathing completely.
That prompted a call to a Laurel County Sheriff's Deputy and an animal control officer. The dog was then removed and placed in custody of the animal control officer, Sizemore said — statements that were confirmed by two Sheriff's detectives and the animal control officer who arrived at the scene.
The incident resulted in four young men being charged in the incident. One of those settled charges in Laurel District Court for unlawful transaction with a minor after admitting he supplied alcohol to the group. Another person involved was 17 years old at the time, and although he admitted that it was him who struck the dog in the video, his case was settled at the district court level.
Harrison and Blevins, however, were charged with abusing the dog and causing its death by their actions — felony charges that carry a penalty of 1 to 5 years in prison. They were indicted on those charges in October 2019.
Laurel Sheriff's Detective James Sizemore stated that he interviewed the juvenile male, who admitted to hitting the dog. But during closing arguments, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Harold Dyche said the juvenile hit the dog after it jumped on him, causing his clothes to become soiled while a party was taking place at Audra Sizemore's home. Dyche reiterated the juvenile's testimony that Harrison then suggested killing the dog, with Harrison and Blevins getting knives from Audra Sizemore's kitchen.
Defense attorneys David Hoskins and Conrad Cessna, however, told jurors that there was no proof that either had abused the dog, with the juvenile's statement that he was "too drunk" to remember. Cessna said the entire case against both men was "speculative" and that "reasonable doubt" was a major player in the evidence presented.
"They interviewed one person and then slapped cuffs and a felony on him (Harrison)," Cessna told jurors.
Dyche, however, had the final chance to comment, telling jurors: "This was senseless. This was a brutal crime. They were all under 21; they were all drinking."
Laurel Circuit Judge Gregory Lay presided over the trial.
