MCCLELLANVILLE, S.C. (WCBD) – The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to McClellanville on June 9, in regards to a dog that had been shot multiple times.
Ryan William Murphy, 22, of McClellanville, was arrested for Ill Treatment of Animals, according to the Charleston County Sheriff’s Officer Public Information Officer Roger Antonio. Murphy killed a one-year-old dog named Rocky on June 9, which he shot eight times according to the affidavit.
The report states that witnesses on scene indicated that Murphy had shot Rocky, who lived on the property. Murphy had separated Rocky from his female dog, Lady, who was in heat, the affidavit added.
Murphy had buried the dog, Rocky, in a shallow grave, and left the scene prior to arrival of law enforcement, as stated in the affidavit.
Murphy was not attacked, retrieved a 9mm pistol form his residence prior to shooting Rocky, the report states. Both dogs were approximately the same size and lived at the incident location.
The affidavit states that Rocky belonged to Murphy’s sibling.
Murphy returned to the incident location and surrendered the weapon used to shoot the dog. It was stated in the affidavit that Murphy admitted that he killed Rocky because his dog, Lady, had hip issues due to a recent accident and he was informed that she would die if she became pregnant.
It was verified inside the affidavit that Lady had actually been involved in an accident in August 2015, and it was recommended that she be spayed due to possible “complications, not death” that could occur during pregnancy.
Information was also provided from several witnesses that Murphy had previously said that he “wanted to kill Rocky” on numerous occasions, the affidavit stated.
A necropsy on the deceased dog conducted at the University of Georgia indicated the dog also suffered a broken leg, and that death was due to gun shots, for the dog had no underlying illness, the affidavit reported.
