Archived Story
Bond set for two in dog killings
Published 11:16am Friday, August 31, 2012Holding hands and surrounded by supporters, the couple whose two dogs were brutally slaughtered Saturday saw the suspects at their first court appearance since the incident.
Bond was set and attorneys were appointed for both Brian L. Sharp, 20, of 339 Township Road 324, and Johnathan D. Jiles, 20, of 27 Private Drive 380, both of Pedro, at their arraignment Thursday in Ironton Municipal Court.
Sharp was arrested Tuesday and Jiles Wednesday, both charged with prohibition concerning companion animals, a first-degree misdemeanor, and criminal trespassing, a fourth-degree misdemeanor.
The two men allegedly stabbed and slit the throats of a lab-basset hound mix and a coonhound early Saturday morning at the home of Josie and Mike Scythes. The Scythes found their pets dead later that morning.
During the arraignment, Sharp said he could not afford an attorney and did not want the court to appoint him one.
Judge O. Clark Collins asked the man if he understood the charges and recommended he take court-appointed counsel.
“Do you understand the seriousness of the charges?” Collins asked. “… I’d rather appoint you an attorney. These are very serious charges you are facing.”
Sharp agreed and Collins appointed attorney Roger Smith to handle the case.
Collins appointed attorney Gene Meadows to represent Jiles.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Mack Anderson recommended bond be set at $30,000 for each defendant — $25,000 for the first-degree misdemeanor and $5,000 for the fourth-degree misdemeanor.
“Due to the brutal nature of this offense, we have two animals that were confined on their own property … brutally mutilated for no apparent motive,” Anderson said. “… Even though these are misdemeanor charges, the community is outraged by this, as well as the prosecutor’s office.”
After the hearing, the Scythes said they were glad both men had been arrested. Josie Scythes said she was scared until the second man, Jiles, was arrested Wednesday.
“(It was) miserable,” she said. “Not knowing where the other person is and what they are going to do next.”
Mike Scythes said he was satisfied with the $30,000 bond set for both men.
“I’m happy with the bail amount,” he said. “It was a good number.”
The couple said they want the men to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
The maximum punishment for a first-degree misdemeanor is 180 days in the county jail and a fine of $1,000. The maximum punishment for a fourth-degree misdemeanor is 30 days in the county jail and a $250 fine.
“I can’t really mourn until I know they get the fullest penalty for this,” Josie Scythes said.
Lawrence County Sheriff Jeff Lawless said both Sharp and Jiles claimed to be drunk at the time of the incident and did not target the Scythes family.
Both men live in the vicinity of the Scythes family.
Collins scheduled another hearing at 9 a.m. Sept. 13.
The community is far more than outraged, Mr. Anderson, these two half-witted thugs are the poster boys for the trashy, red-necked, hillbilly creatures that are living in our county. These two are perfect examples of the useless individuals in this county that do nothing but spend their days and nights causing trouble for everyone else.
Those people responsible for the death of the cat should also suffer the same consequences as these two jerks!
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I think a quick trial and a public hanging will cure these to dirt bags problem. Drunk is not a excuse for anything.
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Please go and sign this petition for JUSTICE! Please share we need more signatures!
http://www.change.org/petitions/justice-for-bubba-and-bear?utm_campaign=action_box&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=share_petition
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You can tell they have an IQ of about 5 – Idiots. Born idiots, bred into them. Jail time is the only medicine these sewer slugs will understand. No boom boom, no beer, no sterno, no oxy, No pets to kill, just their own stench to wallow in. What you have here folks is your classic root psychopaths growing up. Later killing the neighbors pets won’t produce the high, it will have to be the two legged kind. Collins need to hand down the MAXIMUM time and then some, because their parents failed to.
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First what is with the matching haircuts. Are they in some kind of organization? The sheriff needs to look into this. Anyone that would do this to an animal should be tied up in the town square and have a cane pole lashed across their back multiple times. I would be more than happy to take this job. I will tell you this is, if anything ever happened to any of my animals I would take that person out to the woods and practice that lashing job I want. I have always found it amazing that animals don’t have more say in the laws of this country. So I am going to start working toward having our representatives pass a bill that will protect all our animals from this type of abuse. I hope others will jump on board.
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I read with great horror and disgust the tragic events in the brutal murder of both Bubba and Bear. Brian Sharp and Jonathan Jiles are very sick, demented individuals that need to be taken off of the streets. What would have been the outcome if a child, girlfriend or other human being would have looked at them the wrong way, while they were drunk??? And as it wasn’t bad enough for them to stab the dogs multiple times, they went after a dog that was cowering in fear in his dog house and tore it apart to get to the dog and kill him…
Society, Ohio legislators and those in the judicial system need to understand that our “companion animals” are more than just property. They are an integral part of our families and crimes against them need to be treated just like crimes against our children. My pets are my children and deserve similar protections that apply to humans.
I definitely hope that these two individuals will be sentenced to the maximum allowable by law, but unfortuantely, that currently is only a 1st degree misdemeanor. We need HB108/Nitro’s Law – although it will only apply currently to “Kennel Managers, Managers and Employees”, it is a first step towards getting a “first offense” felony provision, at the discreation of the prosector, on the Ohio Law Books, similar to the majority of other states. Once it becomes law, we do plan to come back and add on to it until it covers all abusers. This is the most horrendous, heinous, needless and senseless barbaric attack on companion animals since the Zanesville case of Justin C. Smith, when he slashed his girlfriend’s dog’s throat to get her attention, back in June, 2012…
Sharp and Jiles need to pay their dues to society for their criminal offense and then be checked out by mental health officials…They should not be able to own or be around any companion animals for at least the period of time they are on probation.
Nothing will ever bring Bubba and Bear back and I can’t even imagine the pain and suffering that Michael and Josie Scyhes are going through…I am so, so very sorry for their tragic loss…
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These two scum bags deserve to be treated just as those poor dogs were. Being drunk is NO excuse, and they didn’t attempt to go “pet” the dogs as one of them said, if so, why did the stab them and slit their throats.
Poor excuse for a human being, please don’t let them do this to other animals or worse a human being.
You people are SICK!!!
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Retro is correct, this is how serial killers start. The next time they do this, perhaps to a child, they won’t be caught because they have honed their skills. Ohio needs better legislation. Yes, please don’t give us the same old rubbish that animals cannot have better protection than humans. That is a separate issue. Change the laws for the humans too then.
Vote the politicians out if they are not protecting your interests.
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Let me tell you something. I’ve been just as drunk as a man can get. But I’m telling you that these two guys didn’t do this because they were drunk. Something is wrong with them and somebody had better find out what it is and fix it or they will be in the news again for something far worse than this. This is how serial killers start their careers.
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Let me see. Total of 210 Room and board. Total fine 1250.00 Appointed Lawyer 1200-1400. Theres got to be some kind of felony that occured to give them a short prison stay. They’ll get fat in the jail.
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Here is hoping the courts do the right thing now! Time to step up and let the community know that they are going to be held responsible for crimes like these!!! Being drunk is NO excuse! They went into this young couples yard, and only they know the real reason they were even in this yard, and committed an unspeakable crime. Now let’s see if the judges will do what is right.
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