Alleged Dog Slaughterer's Motion Denied, Case Headed Toward Trial
Categories: Law & Order
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| Joseph Byrnes |
The San Francisco musician accused of hacking his beloved pit bull to death with an axe while nude in a Catholic church was yesterday denied in his bid to dismiss all charges and could face a jury of his peers perhaps as soon as December.
Joseph Byrnes was arrested in August after witnesses saw him take a hatchet to his dog, Nickel, outside Bernal Heights' Immaculate Conception Church. When police followed him inside, they discovered Byrnes' blood-soaked clothes strewn about the facility and the artist and musician crouching over the mortally wounded dog in a courtyard, blood slathered over his naked body. The arresting officers reported that Byrnes' admitted he killed the dog because it was possessed by the devil.
Byrnes' motion to set aside charges of animal cruelty and second-degree burglary were unsuccessful and he will now potentially face trial. While Byrnes' lifelong friends told SF Weekly about his struggles with mental illness, the San Franciscans' mental state on the day he allegedly killed his dog has not yet been an issue in court. District Attorney spokesman Brian Buckelew predicted this might be the "ace in the hole" for the defense.
If Byrnes were to be found guilty on all counts, he faces a maximum of three years in prison.
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