Wayne Johnson (LVMPD)
A 76-year-old man from Washington state was arrested in Nevada for allegedly torturing and killing his pet dog, smashing the animal’s head with a hammer, stabbing it multiple times, and slitting its throat twice, before leaving her to die in the desert. The dog, Kea, survived the initial attack but ultimately had to be euthanized and Wayne Johnson, of Spokane, was taken into custody last week and charged with one count of malicious torture to kill an animal, authorities confirmed to Law&Crime.
An individual at about 11:41 a.m. on March 18, 2023, called 911 and told a dispatcher with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department that they had found a large, severely injured canine that appeared to have been attacked by another animal in the area near Nevada Telephone Cove and Red Hill Road, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Las Vegas NBC affiliate KSNV. Local authorities responded to the scene in Laughlin and the animal was transported to The Animal Foundation on North Mojave Road in Las Vegas.
Veterinary staff at the facility reportedly determined that the animal — later identified as Kea — had suffered multiple stab wounds to her head along with two separate slashes along her throat. While the staff was able to stabilize Kea, she required feeding through a tube and was unlikely to ever recover, so the vets at the facility decided that euthanasia was the best course of action.
Vets found that Kea had a microchip which showed that she was owned by Johnson. Investigators reached out to Johnson, who said he and his wife were staying at the Shangri-La River Suites Motel in Bullhead City and had brought their dog Kea with them, Las Vegas ABC affiliate KTNV reported. Per the report, Johnson then allegedly admitted to trying to end Kea’s life himself, claiming the dog had cancer, couldn’t sleep more than two hours at a time, and was urinating blood.
Johnson reportedly told police Kea was “getting too old and sick” and Johnson had “wanted to put her down.”
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“He said he thought he [had] finished the job and left,” police reportedly wrote in the affidavit. When told his dog had been stabilized, Johnson reportedly responded that it was “too bad that they were wasting all that money on a dying dog” and added that he “didn’t think he had committed a crime.”
Vets at The Animal Foundation reportedly said there were no signs of cancer or any other symptoms from which Johnson claimed Kea was suffering.
The following day, police contacted Johnson again and he reportedly explained that he grew up on a farm and had put animals down in the past, typically using a firearm, but he couldn’t do that because he was traveling. Instead, he allegedly said that he “purchased a hammer and went on a hike where they (he and Kea) used to go and had good memories.” While out hiking, Johnson said he struck Kea on the top of the head several times to knock her unconscious, then twice sliced her throat and waited until she stopped moving before leaving, KTNV reported.
Additionally, Johnson said that he left Kea’s body in the desert intentionally so that her remains would be consumed by other animals, saying “it was the circle of life,” per Las Vegas Fox affiliate KVVU-TV.
He is due to appear in court on Oct. 5, 2023.
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