A dog found dead a week earlier in Franklin County is now believed to have died in an accident, according to the sheriff’s office.
On Tuesday, the chief deputy with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office told WRAL News detectives looked into the death of Nina, a dog who went missing on New Year’s Day, and determined the dog died from a car accident, adding that their investigation included interviews with neighbors in the area.
“There was no evidence of criminal activity,” the sheriff’s office said.
Leo Martinez, Nina’s owner, told WRAL News that he found her a few days after New Year’s Day with her head covered with a trash bag and her body in a ditch.
Martinez disputed the sheriff’s office’s finding, believing that Nina was beaten to death.