Update: T-Bone's Killer Thrown In Jail

February 17, 2001 Roanoke, Virginia, USA

After a year of efforts in courtrooms and Congress, Renee and Jeff Fulcher finally have some closure to the tragic story of their English pointer T-Bone.

While the couple has had less luck on the senate floor, Franklin County Circuit Judge William Alexander sentenced the killer Jamie Washington Hall, 20, to serve one year in jail, pay $2,500 in fines and an additional $2000 in restitution for having shot T-Bone in the head without provocation (Click here to read the earlier story Feb. 3).

The verdict and sentence was based on a Class 1 misdemeanor charge to which the accused had pleaded "no contest".  Although the Fulchers had been pushing for legislation that would make such killings a felony, their efforts were quelled by Senator Nick Rerras of Norfolk (email Senator Rerras) who said, "If I'm in a situation where my family is threatened and I have to take out a dog, I don't want to have to think about whether it's a felony."

Hall's defense was that he shot T-Bone for killing one of his coon dogs (which he breeds at a nearby property), but he refused to produce any evidence corroborating that story.  When asked why he threw T-bone's carcass into the woods, he said, "I didn't want it laying around and I had somewhere to go."

Although it is unlikely, Hall may eventually face felony charges for his crime.  The bill (SB 897) may still be pursued by Senator Roscoe Reynolds of Henry County in subsequent sessions of the General Assembly.

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