San Angelo Man Indicted for Killing Girlfriend's Dog

SAN ANGELO, TX— A San Angelo man has been indicted for shooting and killing his girlfriend’s dog.

Laython Henley, 27, was indicted by a Tom Green County grand jury for cruelty to non-livestock animals after shooting his girlfriend’s dog.

According to court documents, on May 10, 2024, a deputy with the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, was dispatched to the 8800 block of KNA Circle in the Buffalo Heights subdivision for the report of a disturbance.

While en route to the scene, the deputy was advised that the defendant, Henley, shot and killed the complainant’s dog and destroyed some of her belongings by placing them in a fire. Upon arrival, Henley allegedly admitted to shooting the dog after it became aggressive and bit his ankle.

There were no observable signs of injuries, discoloration, or any evidence that Henley had been bitten by the dog.

Henley claimed he fired a single round from a Glock nine-millimeter handgun from a distance of about 10 feet. At the location from where Henley claimed he shot, there were three spent shell casings on the ground. He then said that he held the dog in his arms as it died, after which he dragged the dog to another location on the property.

An examination of the animal revealed a single gunshot wound to the right side of the dog right above the right shoulder.

Henley then placed the handgun in his truck, and he also had a red dye-like substance on both of his hands and on the grip of the gun.

Due to the totality of the circumstances, the physical evidence observed, the inconsistent statements made by Henley, the lack of physical evidence that Henley had been bitten, a reported verbal altercation between him and the complainant, and the alleged admitted burning of her property, it was believed that Henley committed the offense of cruelty to animals.

Henley was arrested on May 10, 2024, and was released the same day on $20,000 bond. He is next due in court on August 14, 2024.