Justice For Habs! Murder is murder!!!
Candace Shellnut/Sterling's Legacy Change.org Petition For Habs
Change.org
MDOC officer Jacob S. Wilkinson brutally tortured and murdered his adopted rescue dog named Habs. Habs was found dead in a ditch with his legs bound and mouth duct taped shut. He also had three .22 caliber bullets in his body. Habs is believed to have been murdered in September. The snow in Michigan his his body for months.
While is pains me to write these details, we MUST stand up together for Habs. Whether human or furry, MURDER IS MURDER. Jacob Wilkinson must pay for his crimes. Laws need to change. This is a disgusting and heinous crime.
While details are still coming in, we do know that the next court hearing is being held via zoom on May 9th at 10:15 a.m at the Saginaw County courthouse. We need your support. Please check Sterling's Legacy/Sterling's Legacy-public for more information.
Dog allegedly killed by ex-corrections officer spurs planned protest at Saginaw County courthouse
MLive
May 06, 2022
SAGINAW, MI — In light of a former corrections officer charged with torturing and killing an inmate-trained dog he adopted, animal lovers are planning a protest outside the Saginaw County Courthouse.
The protest planned for the morning of Monday, May 9, coincides with the next scheduled court date of 25-year-old defendant Jacob S. Wilkinson. At 10:15 a.m., Wilkinson is to appear before Saginaw County District Judge Elian E.H. Fichtner for a pre-examination conference.
The hearing will be held remotely, meaning Wilkinson will appear before the judge via Zoom rather than in person.
Wilkinson on April 25 was arraigned on one count of second-degree torturing or killing an animal, a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison. The charge stems from Wilkinson allegedly killing a brown pit bull mix named Habs in September. At the time, Wilkinson worked as a corrections officer at the Saginaw Correctional Facility in Tittabawassee Township, where Habs had been trained by prisoners.
Habs, previously named Randy, came from the Humane Society of Macomb before arriving in Saginaw County.
Ken Kempkens, director of the Humane Society of Macomb, is organizing the protest and said he and fellow attendees plan on arriving between 9 and 9:30 a.m.
“We mainly want to call attention to the proceedings going on,” Kempkins said. “Our goal for that day is to try to get the judge to move the case from District Court to the Circuit Court level.”
So far, about nine people plan on participating, Kempkens said.
“Anybody who wants to come up there with us is absolutely welcome,” he said. “I know people up there are pretty passionate about what’s going up there. People are passionate about their animals. When something like this happens, we’re going to stay right on top of this.”
Habs had been trained by inmates at the Saginaw prison through Pinckney-based Blue Star Service Dogs. Blue Star’s program sees inmates within the prison’s veterans block live with and train dogs for four to six months.
Though Habs did not meet the requirements to be a veteran’s service dog, he completed basic obedience training before being adopted by Wilkinson.
“He didn’t pass the service dog test because he was too friendly,” Kempkens said. “This dog was so quick to learn. He was less than a year old when he left us.”
Saginaw County Road Commission personnel on March 24 found Habs’ carcass in a ditch near the intersection of West Freeland and Hackett roads in Tittabawassee Township. Animal Control officers retrieved the body, finding it had duct tape around its muzzle and both sets of legs and had been shot three times.
A necropsy — the animal equivalent to an autopsy — was performed on Habs’ body, during which a microchip was discovered. That microchip led investigators to Wilkinson, who by then was working at the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson addressed the matter in a Facebook live video on April 27.
“We’re gonna hold our own accountable. Nobody is exempt from that,” Swanson said, holding a driver’s license identification photo of Wilkinson.
The sheriff said Wilkinson claimed he had been trimming Habs’ nails when the dog nipped at him.
“That guy thought … ‘You’re not gonna do that,’ so he duct taped the rear legs of the dog. Duct taped the front legs of the dog. Duct taped the muzzle,” Swanson said. “And because he lives in Saginaw, he dumped it in Tittabawassee Township. Before he dumped it and left, he shot it three times and killed it.”
Swanson expressed doubt that Habs had nipped at Wilkinson
“A service dog that has been trained by people … to help counsel and work through issues that is completely innocent, that dog nipped at him?” he rhetorically asked.
Wilkinson worked for the Michigan Department of Corrections from May 2, 2021, through Jan. 27. In December 2021, he applied for a job with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, months after he had allegedly killed Habs.
“He never disclosed in his interview that he shot and killed and tortured a dog,” Swanson said. “He never disclosed it to a psychologist when he was sent for a psychological interview before his hiring.”
Swanson hired Wilkinson on Jan. 31. He said Wilkinson graduated with honors from Saginaw Valley State University with a minor in psychology, was an EMT and combat medic, and is in the National Guard.
“He’s got a stellar background but never, never, did we know or even think he’d torture an animal like that,” Swanson said. Wilkinson only worked in the county jail as a corrections officer and was not a certified road deputy, he added.
The sheriff learned of Wilkinson’s alleged conduct through “the good work of our Saginaw County friends,” giving a personal shout-out to Saginaw County Animal Care & Control Director Bonnie Kanicki. Wilkinson was working a shift in the jail when investigators came to speak with him in April.
“When the detectives came down, we brought him down and without getting into all the details of the case, he confessed to everything,” Swanson said. “He was immediately terminated.
“Some people talk about the blue line,” he continued. “There ain’t no blue line when it comes to right and wrong.”
Kempkens stressed there are always alternatives to killing a pet, such as surrendering it to an animal shelter.
“This guy had options,” he said. “He could have called us and we would have taken Habs back in a second.”
Wilkinson is represented by Flint attorney Michael T. Beer. MLive has been unable to reach Beer for comment on the case.
Deputy Jacob Wilkinson Arrested!!!
The Skip Tracer
May 02, 2022
Genesee County Deputy Jacob Wilkinson was recently arrested for killing an innocent service dog. I found disturbing evidence showing that Jacob thinks he'll face no consequences.
Genesee County deputy charged with torturing, shooting his service dog
Midland Daily News (MI)
May 2, 2022
A former Michigan sheriff's deputy was arrested on a felony charge for torturing and killing his service dog after the animal allegedly nipped him.
Jacob Wilkinson was apprehended last week and was terminated from his post at the Genesee County Sheriff's Office after the corpse of his dog with its head and limbs duct-taped was discovered in a Saginaw County ditch, according to Genessee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson in a Facebook update on Friday, April 27.
Wilkinson reportedly killed his service dog, named Habs, sometime between September and October of 2021 because it "nipped at him" as he was cutting the canine's nails, according to Swanson.
"And that guy … thought he had enough control over the dog that you're not gonna do that. So he duct-taped the rear legs of the dog, duct-taped the front legs of the dog, duct-taped the muzzle," Swanson said.
Wilkinson bound Habs, shot him three times and dumped the remains in the ditch. But the gruesome sight wasn't uncovered until spring thaw melted away blanketing snow.
The remains were discovered by road commission workers in March, and authorities were notified.
A necropsy, which is an animal autopsy, found that the dog was shot three times and that it had a microchip ID.
"They used the technology and they tracked that microchip to a resident of Saginaw County … and they tracked that individual to be Jacob Wilkinson," Swanson said.
At the time of his crime, Wilkinson was working for the Michigan Department of Corrections, assigned to the Saginaw area, according to Swanson. Wilkinson had helped train Habs, who was part of a blue star service training program in which inmates within the Michigan Department of Corrections help train service dogs to give to veterans and officers.
When Habs' training was complete, Wilkinson adopted him.
"A service dog that has been trained by people … that is completely innocent," Swanson said. "That dog nipped at him and he tortured it and he killed it and he left it for dead."
Wilkinson applied for the sheriff's office in December of 2021. And he went through the process like anybody else, according to Swanson.
"He never disclosed in his interview that he shot and killed a dog. That he tortured a dog. He never disclosed it to a psychologist when he was sent for a psychological interview before his hiring on the 11th of January 2022."
Wilkinson is in the national guard and he graduated from SVSU with honors, with a minor in psychology. He was an EMT. He worked as a combat medic, according to Swanson.
"Has got a stellar background. But never did we know, or even think he'd torture an animal like that." Swanson went on to say Wilkinson confessed to everything and has been charged with a seven-year felony along with his termination from the Genessee County Sheriff's Office.
"This isn't the first time that we've held our staff here accountable. It's not the first time that we've arrested our own," Swanson said. "I've been elected as the sheriff to hold this office accountable to the people and I'm gonna continue to do that."
Wilkinson was arraigned Tuesday. Bond was set at $10,000, and he was ordered not to possess or purchase a firearm or other dangerous weapon or to have contact with animals, court records show.
His next hearing date is slated for May 9.
The case has alarmed animal advocates. For instance, a group that fights for the rights of the pit bull breed called Stand Up For Pits Foundation, Inc, posted about Wilkinson's crime on Facebook Friday, April 29 to its 127,000 followers.
"The murderer's next hearing date is slated for May 9," Stand Up For Pits Foundation stated in the post. "This is call to action to demand he serve the full sentence for this horrific crime against a voiceless helpless being. If someone can please do some research as to who the decision-makers are in this case and send it to info@standupforpits.us we will post this call to action. This story cannot just disappear. It needs to be heard and known and the human who did this needs to suffer consequences."
What Cop Did To This Dog SHOULD PUT HIM BEHIND BARS
The Junkyard News
Apr 29, 2022
Rescued stray dog tortured and killed by Michigan deputy who adopted him
FOX 2 - Detroit
Apr 28, 2022
Wilkinson has been charged for torturing and killing Habs after the dog was found in a Saginaw County ditch duct-taped and shot to death. It turns out, Habs was left there in September.
Ex-Corrections officer charged in his pet dog's torture and killing in Saginaw Co.
Detroit News
April 28, 2022
A former state corrections officer and former Genesee County sheriff's deputy has been charged in connection with torturing and killing his dog, the county's top cop announced this week.
Jacob Wilkinson was arraigned Tuesday in Saginaw County Circuit Court on one count of second-degree animal torture/killing, records show.
Wilkinson, who previously worked for the Michigan Department of Corrections, faces up to seven years in prison, Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson said in a Facebook update Wednesday.
He had only been with the county office 42 days when he was fired as a result of the charge, Swanson added.
"This isn't the first time that we've held our staff here accountable. It's not the first time that we've arrested our own," Swanson said. "I've been elected as the sheriff to hold this office accountable to the people and I'm gonna continue to do that."
Authorities started investigating after road crews found a dog's remains in Tittabawasee Township in Saginaw County, Swanson said.
A necropsy determined the dog, named Habs, had been shot three times, the sheriff said. Media reports said the dog had been shot in the head. The dog's front and rear legs as well its muzzle had also been duct-taped.
A microchip led to an address in Saginaw and Wilkinson, he said.
An attorney representing Wilkinson did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
Jacobson attended a preliminary examination conference Monday in 70th District Court in Saginaw County via Zoom, according to court staff. No new hearings have yet been scheduled in the matter.
Habs was part of the Blue Star service program that helps military veterans, and Wilkinson adopted the animal after working to train it through MDOC in Saginaw County, Swanson said.
Wilkinson told investigators he bound the dog with duct tape after a nail-trimming incident in September or October last year, Swanson said.
"That dog nipped at him and he tortured it and he killed it and he left it for dead."
Wilkinson served in the National Guard, was a combat veteran and studied psychology at Saginaw Valley State University.
He never disclosed the incident to county officials when applying for his job last year or undergoing a psychological evaluation, Swanson said.
Saginaw County Animal Care & Control Director Bonnie Kanicki alerted Swanson about the probe. The sheriff said he allowed Wilkinson to be questioned immediately in what he called a "horrific, horrendous murder."
"He confessed everything," Swanson said. "He was immediately terminated."
At his arraignment, Wilkinson was ordered not to possess firearms or animals. Bond was set at $10,000. A hearing is scheduled for May 9.
His case has alarmed animal advocates. Candace Shellnut, who leads Sterling's Legacy, a group that formed after a Macomb County pit bull mix was slain in 2019, this week launched a Change.org petition calling for stricter punishment. It has collected more than 2,000 signatures.
She hopes keeping the case in the public eye leads to stronger penalties for animal abuse.
"I'm just disgusted," Shellnut said Thursday. "I cannot believe a human would do that to another living being."
Ex-corrections officer, deputy charged with killing dog trained by prisoners
MLive
Apr. 27, 2022
SAGINAW, MI — When the spring thaw melted away the blanketing snow, it unveiled a grisly sight in a muddy Saginaw County ditch: the carcass of a dog, its muzzle and limbs duct taped, bullet holes in its head.
Little did investigators know their ensuing investigation would lead them to a suspect who worked as a corrections officer for the Michigan Department of Corrections and was a deputy with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.
Now, their suspect is facing a felony for allegedly torturing and killing the dog he adopted, one that had undergone training by MDOC prisoners.
On March 24, Saginaw County Road Commission employees reported finding the carcass in a ditch near the intersection of West Freeland and Hackett roads in Tittabawassee Township, according to Saginaw County Animal Care & Control Director Bonnie Kanicki. Two Animal Control officers went to retrieve the body, finding it had duct tape around its muzzle and both sets of legs.
Officers took the body back to headquarters and discovered the dog had been microchipped. This led investigators to the Humane Society of Macomb, where staff said the dog had been transferred to them from Detroit Animal Care and Control. The dog, originally named Randy, was then transferred to Pinckney-based Blue Star Service Dogs.
Randy was renamed Habs after a veteran who died of suicide and was trained by inmates of the Saginaw Correctional Facility, Kanicki said. Blue Star’s program sees inmates within the prison’s veterans block live with and train dogs for four to six months.
“These dogs master basic obedience, command training, and pre-task training and basic tasks such as turning off and on lights, picking up objects, and opening doors,” Blue Star’s website states.
Though Habs came short of meeting the service dog standards, he completed obedience training, Kanicki said. When Habs’ training was finished, corrections officer Jacob S. Wilkinson adopted him, having been familiar with him through the training process, Kanicki said.
Investigators also sent the carcass for a necropsy — the animal equivalent of an autopsy — to determine the cause of death. The necropsy showed Habs had been shot three times in its head with .22-caliber bullets, Kanicki said.
“It just shocks the conscience,” Kanicki said. “That dog suffered greatly.”
By the time of the carcass’ discovery, Wilkinson was no longer employed by the MDOC and was then working for the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, Kanicki said.
Investigators interviewed Wilkinson, who confessed to killing Habs and dumping his body in the ditch, Kanicki said. Wilkinson told investigators he had been trying to trim Habs’ nails when the dog nipped at him, prompting Wilkinson to wrap him in duct tape, drive him out to the ditch, shoot him three times, and leave his carcass, Kanicki said.
Wilkinson is believed to have killed Habs in September, with snow concealing the body for months.
Authorities issued a warrant for Wilkinson on Monday, April 25. The next afternoon, Wilkinson voluntarily appeared before Saginaw County District Judge David D. Hoffman via Zoom for arraignment on one count of second-degree torturing or killing of an animal. The felony is punishable by up to seven years in prison.
Defense attorney Michael Beer appeared with Wilkinson at the arraignment. He said Wilkinson graduated with honors from Saginaw Valley State University, is a current member of the National Guard, is an EMT, and was employed by the MDOC for six months. MDOC’s own records show Wilkinson was employed from May 2, 2021, through Jan. 27, during which time he worked at the Saginaw Correctional Facility.
Wilkinson was a Genesee County Sheriff’s deputy until Friday, April 22, Beer said.
“Unfortunately, due to the charges he did end up losing his job on Friday,” Beer said.
He said Wilkinson lives with his father in Saginaw and has forfeited all of his firearms. He asked the judge to set a personal recognizance bond.
“He is not a danger, he will not flee,” Beer said.
Hoffman freed Wilkinson on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond. Conditions of his bond are that he not possess firearms or animals.
The judge scheduled Wilkinson’s case for a pre-examination conference at 10:15 a.m. on May 9.
