June 19 – An Erie County man pleaded guilty in the Crawford County Court of Common Pleas to fatally shooting seven dogs and injuring two others last summer.
Skyler James Martin, 22, of McKean, pleaded guilty Thursday before Presiding Judge John Spataro to one count of felony third degree aggravated cruelty to animals. Martin faces up to seven years and a $15,000 fine when sentenced later this summer.
Martin was originally charged in July 2022 with nine third-degree counts of aggravated animal cruelty by Association for Needy and Neglected Animals (ANNA) Animal Cruelty Officer Eric Duckett.
Martin reached a plea deal with the Crawford County District Attorney’s Office. By pleading guilty to one count, the other eight charges of aggravated animal cruelty will not be pursued.
According to the arrest affidavit filed in the case, nine German Shepherd dogs, ages 8 months to 5 years old, were found on June 26, 2022, dead or with gunshot wounds to a home on Reeds Corners Road in Beaver Township. . The discovery was made after family members who owned the dogs returned from vacation. The animals would have been entrusted to the care of a friend.
Duckett investigated the scene on June 28 and found several shell casings inside and outside the kennels, according to the affidavit.
Several days later, an anonymous caller led Duckett to a man who said Martin lived at his residence and had asked to borrow the man’s Glock 17 9mm pistol on June 24, the affidavit said.
The affidavit states that when Martin returned the gun, he told several people in the residence that he had shot “a bunch of dogs with it.”
The investigation found several text messages between Martin and the man in which Martin asked the man to “get rid of your gun and give them mine” so that the ballistic evidence would “take me off the list” of suspects, according to the affidavit.
The two surviving dogs were placed in foster homes.
Martin remains free on $30,000 bond pending sentencing on August 17.
Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.