Two men accused of entering another man’s house, taking his dog and then killing it have been indicted on burglary, aggravated cruelty to animals and other charges.
Nathan Burke, 38, of Hancock and Justin Chipman, 23, of Steuben are each also facing additional charges of theft, unauthorized use of property and aggravated criminal mischief.
The two men are accused of entering the Winter Harbor home of Phil Torrey last August, when Torrey was out of town, then taking his dog Franky for a joyride in Torrey’s Hummer. Franky, a mix between a pug and a Boston terrier, was 6 years old and weighed 30 pounds, Torrey has said.
Sometime during the ride, the men allegedly shot and killed Franky, wrapped his corpse in plastic and then threw his body in the ocean, according to police. Franky was found a few days later by the wife of Hancock County District Attorney Matthew Foster, who lives in Winter Harbor, when his body washed up on the shore.
Burke and Chipman have told police the dog ran off during the ride and they never saw him again.
Torrey, a commercial lobster fisherman, has said the two men previously had worked for him as crew on his boat.
The two men also are accused of causing more than $2,000 worth of damage to Torrey’s Hummer when they took it out for a spin. According to police, Torrey later found .45-caliber bullet in an indentation on the hood of the damaged SUV, which the men had returned to his house before he returned from his trip.
The burglary charges are Class B felonies, each punishable by a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. The aggravated animal cruelty and aggravated criminal mischief charges are Class C felonies, for which convictions can result in sentences of up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The other charges are misdemeanors.
Burke and Chipman are being held at the Hancock County Jail in Ellsworth.
A judge ordered Chipman back behind bars last month after he ruled that the Steuben man had violated terms of his administrative release from a previous terrorizing conviction. Burke was also sent back to jail in February when he was arrested on domestic violence charges after getting into an altercation with his girlfriend.
