The strange case of the wolf dogs of Deyerle just got a bit stranger.
A Roanoke General District judge Tuesday dismissed all charges stemming from a June incident in which four wolf dogs escaped their confinement and stalked and killed a fully grown female deer in front of horrified witnesses.
In dismissing four misdemeanor charges against Thomas Blanding, Judge Scott Geddes said he was not convinced Roanoke police charged the right person following the June 26 incident.
From testimony at trial, it appeared police incorrectly assumed Thomas Blanding was the dogs’ owner, when they charged him with one count of failing to properly care for the animals and three counts allowing them to run at large.
“The court has to be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt whether or not Thomas Blanding