Loyal dog aids police in apprehending owner’s murderer | US News

A brave and faithful dog helped apprehend its owner’s murderer by refusing to leave her body, according to US police.

Derek Daigneault was given a life sentence for killing his cousin Mandy Rose Reynolds, whose severely burnt body was discovered in a field in Robinson, Texas.

Authorities investigating a reported brush fire in April 2023 found a corpse too charred to identify.

At the scene, a white labradoodle named Titan barked incessantly at officers and would not leave the area where the body was located, as per the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office.

The following day, someone spotted the dog sitting where the body had been burned and alerted animal control, which discovered Titan was microchipped and belonged to Ms. Reynolds.

After discovering she lived in San Marcos, Texas, police informed local authorities to search for her.

Her apartment was vacant, devoid of her belongings, and her car was missing.

A search through license plate records revealed the car was in Wichita, Kansas.

Days later, officers in Wichita located the car and attempted to stop it, leading to a high-speed chase reaching speeds over 100mph lasting nearly 30 minutes.

Upon crashing into another vehicle, the driver escaped into a nearby store, hiding behind canned goods on a shelf, per the district attorney’s office.

The man was identified as Ms. Reynolds’ cousin, Daigneault.

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Footage shows Daigneault purchasing shovel and fuel canister

Simultaneously, San Marcos police obtained Walmart surveillance footage showing Daigneault buying a large plastic storage container identical to the one where Ms. Reynolds’ body was burned, along with a shovel and petrol canister.

The footage also depicted Daigneault leaving the store in Ms. Reynolds’ car, with Titan poking his head out of the window.

Later, all of Ms. Reynolds’ personal items were found in an abandoned truck several miles from her home.

‘Heroic and loyal dog’

An autopsy verified Ms. Reynolds’ identity through dental records and revealed she died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Investigators linked a bullet retrieved from her body and a shell casing inside the container to a handgun discovered inside Ms. Reynolds’ car during Daigneault’s possession.

“The key players in this case were Titan, a heroic and faithful dog, and the exceptional collaboration between multiple law enforcement agencies across different jurisdictions and states,” stated assistant district attorneys Ryan Calvert and Alyssa Killin.

“This teamwork resulted in justice for Mandy and protection from a violent and perilous criminal.”