A 60-year-old Weber County man, in jail for allegedly killing his two dogs, was found lying on his bed “covered in blood,” police say.
Carey Dee Hill is charged with two counts of torture of a companion animal, a third-degree felony.
According to charging documents filed on Feb. 23, Weber County Sheriff’s deputies were notified of a psychiatric problem.
When they arrived, they found a bloody Hill lying on his bed. The statement says Hill killed the two dogs “in a rage” and tried to take his own life by cutting himself.
The two dogs were found with “several slash marks” and their throats cut. In an upstairs bedroom, there were “several areas of blood spatter” on the walls, and more blood was found in the adjoining bathroom.
Deputies found a machete outside of the house covered in blood and dog hair, court documents say.
Initially, Hill was charged with two counts of aggravated cruelty to an animal, a class A misdemeanor. However, in an affidavit filed Monday, deputies requested the charges be increased to third-degree felonies and for Hill to be arrested. The request was approved the same day.
Hill told police he was enraged over a recent divorce and he attacked the two dogs, the affidavit states. Hill’s estranged wife told police he had previously threatened to kill the dogs and aimed similar threats toward her.
Investigators found the killing of the dogs was an attempt by Hill to “instill fear” in his spouse, according to court documents.