Police arrested a juvenile male in connection with Edna's disappearance.
Stay tuned: Check back to the network story for information on the trial.
Teen charged & facing trial in cruel dog-extortion caseBy Stu Bykofsky, Philadelphia Daily NewsPHILADELPHIA POLICE have charged a suspect in the horrifying case of Edna, the little brown dog held for ransom in a telephoned extortion attempt last fall.
The accused, a 15-year-old Nicetown boy, was arrested and taken into custody in the early morning of Dec. 30. Because he is a juvenile, his name is being withheld by police.
He faces felony charges of extortion, criminal conspiracy and criminal mischief, in addition to charges of harassment and terroristic threats.
Edna was the "constant companion" of Center City resident Bill Whiting. She disappeared Halloween night from the home of a friend Whiting was visiting in the Italian Market area.
He suspects Edna, a beagle mix with warm brown eyes that he had adopted from a shelter a decade ago, might have slipped out when the door was repeatedly opened for trick-or-treaters. Whiting, 57, thinks Edna might have followed some children because she was a friendly and trusting dog.
As soon as Whiting realized Edna was missing, he frantically ran up and down the surrounding South Philly streets, whistling and calling her name. The next morning he put up 1,500 fliers with her pictures, his cell-phone number and the promise of a $500 reward for her return. He then waited, heart-sick and physically ill with worry over his pet.
His wait ended late on Nov. 10, with a phone call at 11:58 p.m. that chilled his blood.
He heard two hard-to-understand voices that sounded male and young. The first said he was 16, his brother was 9 and they had Edna. They demanded $600 to return his dog.
"I was to bring cash, by myself," at midnight to a location Whiting could not decipher, he said.
Whiting, who does not drive, agreed to the payment, but not to a midnight meeting. "They said they wanted the money now, and told me they'd kill the dog, repeating, 'You don't believe me, Mister - let me hurt it so you can hear.' "
His heart jumped when he heard a pained yelp over the phone. When he heard the jingling of her tags, Whiting knew they had his beloved little brown dog.
"I couldn't believe how evil he was," says Whiting. "He said, 'You know, Mister, I want to kill your dog.' "
Whiting begged them not to hurt Edna and offered to give them more than $600 if they would keep her safe until the morning.
The line went dead.
Around 3 a.m., Whiting got a second call from the extortionists. They said they had killed Edna.
Whiting called 911 after the 11:58 p.m. phone call and police began to investigate the extortion attempt.
The investigation was slowed by police bureaucratic procedures and by delays in getting Whiting's phone records from Verizon. Each request required a search warrant and each search warrant took several days.
After weeks of searching, Detective Charles Williams was able to connect the 11:58 p.m. call received by Whiting with a landline in the suspect's Nicetown home. He is the only juvenile in the home, Williams told me.
The youth denied knowledge of the crime, but during an interview skillfully guided by Williams, he used the first name and the nickname of two of his friends. Williams then scoured area schools and tracked down the suspect's two friends.
"It took a lot of time and legwork," Williams said.
The two were interviewed in their parents' presence and both signed statements, Williams said, that the suspect had told them he made the extortion phone call. The suspect bragged about the incident, they said, although they didn't know if he actually had Edna. Each has agreed to testify.
Reached yesterday, Whiting said: "I just want to make sure he is the right person. I don't want anyone rushing to judgment. I believe in due process. I feel somewhat relieved, but I don't think he is the only person involved in this. I spoke to two different people."
The suspect was processed at the Youth Study Center and released into his mother's custody under "intense supervision" of a probation officer, according to the D.A.'s office. He'll be assigned a trial date on Jan. 31.
When he's tried, I'll be there.*
E-mail stubyko@phillynews.com or call 215-854-5977Story above posted with permission of Stu Bykofsky, Phildelphia Daily News by Stephanie, PA News Associate and County Representative________________________________________________________
Edna's owner, Bill Whiting, still needs your help!To help Edna and Bill, there is a petition to new Mayor of Philadelphia, Michael Nutter, and Verizon. Verizon and law enforcement need to change their policies and streamline their coordination for the future to ensure that delays in providing information for kidnapping situations will never happen again. Sadly, Bill Whiting and Edna are victims of this insufficient coordination between Verizon and law enforcement.
Please sign and spread the word. The petition will close January 31 at midnight.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/help-a-kidnapped-dog-in-philadelphiaThere may be more than one individual that was responsible for Edna's disappearance. Anyone who may have any information, or think they saw or heard anything, please do the right thing. Contact the
Philadelphia Police Department at 215-686-3093 or -3094 or contact the
Pennsylvania SPCA with a tip, at 215-426-6300.
The reward for information is up to $10,000 (provided by the Pennsylvania SPCA with an anonymous donor and PETA)
Photo of Bill and Edna, posted with permission of Bill WhitingTo read the previous posting on Bill and Edna, please click here.