Okay, I think that that one's bad. Almost dead. Well, then there's these guys right here, too. Who are you? Okay, sorry. I'm Nick. Nice to meet you. Officers had just responded to a welfare check at an animal care residence after receiving reports that a deceased dog might be inside. But what they uncovered went far beyond anything they had ever witnessed. But the cages are filled with feces and and there is multiple dogs in cages that are decomposed. That was the the worst house I have been in so far, including all the body ones. It's that bad in there. On August 28th, 2023, officers from the Evesham Police Department received a call from the foster coordinator at Tender Mercies Pet Organization, who reported that a dog from one of the foster homes had gone missing and that the homeowners appeared to be trying to pass off a different animal as the same one. When the officer arrived at the scene, he was met by one of the caretakers who immediately began raising suspicions. How are you guys? Who are you? What Who lives here? I do. You do? Okay. I'm Officer Laticon, Evesham Police Department. I just want to let you know you are being recorded. All right. So, do you know why I'm here? I do not, actually. Okay. So, a gentleman came, he got those two dogs from you earlier? Yeah. Okay, those dogs are not taken care of in any way, all right? Yeah, that's um That's Lynn. She's a Okay. owner of the rescue. So, how many other dogs do you have? Me? Yeah. Eight. Inside the house? Are they a part of the rescue? >> No. Okay, they're your dogs? Uh majority of them are, yes. Uh there's one with another rescue and there's two with another one. Okay. So, obviously due to the fact that the two other dogs that I saw weren't cared for, all right? I'm going to ask you if I can see the other dogs you have to make sure they're in good health, all right? If you refuse to do so, we're going to get a search warrant and I'm going to take those dogs. If that search warrant is approved, I don't want to go that route. I don't think it's necessary, but obviously I have to do my dog my job make sure that those dogs inside are taken care of, right? Are they taken care of? Yeah. The woman seen here was identified as 35-year-old Rebecca Halbach. She appeared uncomfortable with the officer's presence and that impression only grew stronger with each passing second. He said yeah and you shook. Well, I mean, to be honest, I mean, we we battled um Oh my god, Lynn, what is the name of it? Parvo. Okay. We battled parvo um and uh there's still a few that are you know, they still have coccidia, so diarrhea and you know what I mean, like there's Okay. Listen, I get it. However, I still need to make sure, obviously, see them. Make sure that they're all right and then we can go from there, so um are will you allow me will you take me inside so I can see the dogs? >> I will happily bring them out to you. Okay. But I'm not going to have you go back in the house, right? So, it's it's either I I come in and see them or I go the search warrant route. You're not allowed back in your house until we find out whether I get that search warrant approved or not, right? And I and I don't want to go that way. I don't think it's necessary. Um I don't understand like granted like those dogs Right. that the guy had Andrew has, Mhm. right? They were listed under Lynn's rescue, so how does that >> They're in your care. Okay? So, the dogs are in your care. You have other dogs in there that are under your care, all right? So, the only reason I'm here is to make sure that those dogs are okay. If I deem they're not okay, I'm going to ask if you are willing to turn those dogs over to me, all right? If you refuse to to do so, again, I just have to apply for a search warrant, right? >> Right. Rebecca immediately brought up a struggle they had been facing with the dogs. Some had been suffering from parvo and she seemed concerned about the officer seeing the sick animals, but it was becoming clear that her concerns went deeper than that. Can I talk to you? What do you mean? Privately? Like >> Yeah, we can walk over here and they can hang out here. Yeah. Well, can we go over here? Sure. Can I ask you a couple of questions? Yeah, absolutely. Mhm. So, you you said if you saw the dogs, Mhm. right? And they're and they're not in good health, I'd ask if you're willing to turn turn the dogs over to me. So, what would happen is I would contact our animal shelter I work with. I'm I'm the humane officer here, right? So, that's why I'm here talking to you. >> Okay. So, if they're not in good health, we'll have the shelter come, you'll turn them over, the shelter will take them and they'll get them back into good health, all right? Because of the whole like I I want to be honest with you, I've never I've never been in trouble. I've never been arrested. I don't want the rescue to go down. I don't want like to go to [ __ ] jail. So, >> There was I'm just saying with the whole parvo thing, like what happens like So, the dogs had parvo. I I know what parvo is. I've like I said, I'm the humane officer here. >> if what if let's say I wasn't able to remove it yet? So, one of them's dead in there and you didn't take the right again. We'll cross that path when we get there if if that's the case. >> Am I going to get a like in trouble? So, you're going to get you're going to get in some trouble regardless and I get it if you're in over your head. >> I'm just saying because like I saw like the whole thing with like the shmung thing lady and her was all over This is different. That lady had dogs in fridges and snakes. That was a whole different situation. Like 10 to 15 dogs around the room and all that stuff. Um I must is that this type of case or is it just the one dog, two dogs, three dogs that are dead? How many do you have in there? You don't know? Rebecca claimed to be afraid because of a known case involving a woman who had deceased dogs inside her home. The officer tried to reassure her, believing the situation at hand wasn't comparable to the one she mentioned, not knowing what was waiting for him inside the residence. Rebecca continued to drop subtle hints about what might have been inside the residence, not realizing that this behavior only made her appear even more suspicious. Okay, what if What's up? Um Um What if there's more than like three? More than three dogs? Yeah. It doesn't matter. How does that not matter? See, I'm going to be honest with you, whether it's one or 10 or 20 or 30 or 50, it's still the same thing. Doesn't matter the number. Listen, I I already like I said, I've I've dealt with this before, situations like this. Yeah. >> I was a part of the the one you were talking about, the parvo one. I was part of the one in Mount Holly where the Well, I'm just asking because like I said, I've never been in trouble. I wouldn't I I honestly never would have put them in harm's way, but >> I got scared when when everything happened and they all started dying and like well, what was I going to do? I had no place to put them, you know? I have no place, you know, I don't have hundreds of thousands of dollars to go and pay a vet to to do all this. That's why like I'm I'm asking you because I'm I'm bluntly scared because I've never been in trouble. If you look into my back I've never >> I I I don't I don't care if they're dead flying down from the ceiling. I just want to see them. >> Okay, I was going to say because this morning what I do when I I do do the cage their cages in the morning and whatnot, but when they showed up, everything got prolonged and me and Lynn we get talking and then it just gets out of hand, so like their cages aren't [ __ ] done, so like it's going to be a [ __ ] wreck. It's fine. I got dogs. I've it it is more than okay. We'll just look at them real quick and we'll come right back out. >> Yeah, that's fine. After speaking outside, the officer and Rebecca went inside the house and that's when he began to realize the case was far more disturbing than anything he had ever encountered. Are they're all friendly, right? Um Yeah, just Come in. Who are you? Okay. >> Sorry. I'm Nick. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. Oh, I forgot about these guys. So, there's three here, too. So, nine, 10, 11, 12. Okay, so like I said, they're only here. That was the one that left. That's the baby shepherd. She's sick. She's been sick. Okay. That Phillip is here. He's really friendly. And what about THE DECEASED ONES? ONE THERE, ONE THERE. Um that's the other shepherd. That's Amelia. And this is Nico. They're all friendly. They just might bark. Are these all the deceased ones then? These two are. Okay, so it's Okay. How many do we have here? Is it Okay. So, that's all the dogs right Okay. And So, this is my cat. >> Are there's the only deceased one? No No, I'm just asking. It's just these two. Well, no, we have to go this way. The two Maltese are in here. Okay. And then There's a Yorkie right there. Okay. Inside the house, the officer was met with one of the most disturbing scenes he had ever encountered. The animals were confined to cages filled with feces, filthy [music] and neglected, while deceased dogs, some already in advanced stages of decomposition, were scattered throughout the residence. But what immediately stood out to him upon entering was the presence of four children ages 9, 10, [music] 11, and 12 who had been living in those same deplorable conditions. The situation was so extreme that even the officer who had already witnessed a similar case before was deeply unsettled. Let me just make the call so animal control knows exactly what we're dealing with and then just hang out with her. It's really We're going to call the CP. That's her only thing she has inside. There's there's I don't know yet, but I don't want to call it yet. There were there were multiple decaying dogs. So Yeah, it's it is it is it is How many alive? I couldn't even focus. The smell was too bad and there's bugs everywhere. No, it This has got to be shut down. It's that bad. Yeah, when I tell you these dogs have had to been in there for months decaying in the cages, it's it is that bad. There's bugs and all sorts coming out of them and the floors and the ceiling. Wait for us to transport them. Right? And then if we do They're all different types. There's a German Shepherd. There's German Shepherd. There's like pitbull mixes and it's they're all different small Yorkies. They're all in cages, but the cages are filled with and you flies and maggots and there's multiple dogs in cages that are decomposed and There's there's maggots on the floor. You open that door. That was that the worst house I have been in so far including all the body ones. It is that bad in there. Shortly after Rebecca's husband arrived at the scene, also visibly uncomfortable with the officer's presence at the residence. >> How are you, sir? Good. I'm Officer Ladigonna from Evesham. Just so you know, I got a body worn camera and it's recording. I got to say it legally. So, just to fill you in on on the situation here obviously with I got alerted to the situation in here. I'm a humane officer for our township. So, your wife Rebecca gave I came here. I spoke with Rebecca. She's going to turn over the the dogs to us today. We're waiting on the animal control officer with the van to get here. So, the dogs, the cats, all the animals are going to go. The live ones and the dead ones with the animal control officer. Um, however the the situation we're running into here is obviously you guys can't be living in the house in the current condition. So, obviously animal control is coming for all the animals inside alive and right? Um, she's working with us. So, there's two there's two different ways this could have went. It's either you guys work with me, I get the consent and it's nice and smooth and and we deal with it. Or no one's allowed in the house. I get a search warrant, we go that way. Obviously, no one wants to go that way. It's not necessary. And take grab the clothes and all that. Stop, let's just wait until animal control takes the dogs. All right? And then we can go inside and and you guys can grab whatever you need to grab. All right? At this point, the officers needed to document the horrors inside the house and in doing so, they continued to make even more unsettling discoveries. Are there any dead animals in the fridge? Huh? Are there any dead animals in the fridge? Oh, no, no. You can open that by all means. No, no freezer, no. Okay. Yeah, open that freezer. Nothing in there. Are there What's in here? That was the cat trap. Okay, what about Is that a dog trap? >> the Maltese I told you about. Dylan, did you get these guys over here? >> There's the Yorkie. And then these guys here. I think that that one's almost Yeah, I think I think he's almost almost gone. And then there's these guys right here, too. The number of deceased dogs inside was so overwhelming that the further the officers moved in, the more they found. As they continued documenting the scene, it seemed like the number of animals would never end. Oh, are these These are all That was litter box. This is a huge huge huge pass. That is That one's deceased. That's That's what you told you. There's one that was deceased in that one. From that one was from Yeah, parvo and then this one, yes. Then him I wasn't able to get out of the cage and that too, yes. Okay. And then what These these ones behind you? Yes. I don't know if you got these, Dylan. And then that one. Are there any animals in these trash cans? No, it's all trash. You can pick them There there is. There's one in there. My god. I'm sorry. Okay. Is it easier to bring her down? Okay. I wasn't sure. Just Okay. Are these These all have dead animals in them? Um Truthfully? Yeah, a lot of these were the puppies that from the beginning stages of parvo. Okay. These are all Yeah. And then here, too. No, no, no. That's trash. That's basic trash. That's clothes. You can look in there if that's your clothes. After documenting the house, both officers stepped outside shaken by what they had just witnessed. I got I got to call dispatch. Hey, So, we just me and Dylan just went in and took the photos and stuff. It's worse than we thought. There's probably close to 30 dead dogs in there. How many live dogs would you say? Two in the first kitchen. Two in the cages, four. Two more in the living room, six. One upstairs, seven. Minimum seven. At least seven that I can think of. I would I think probably more than that. Yeah, probably 10. It's bad. Yeah, yeah. So, there's about 10. We want to say 10 live dogs. And when I tell you it's it's probably worth 30 30 dogs, maybe even maybe even more cuz we didn't we didn't open anything, but there were some in trash bags and containers and bins and there Yeah, there's they're fully fully several fully decomposed dogs, some half composed, some probably died recently. If I mean, if they're dangerous. What the officers found inside the house was far more disturbing than the initial call had suggested and there was no way they could consider Rebecca innocent, something she was about to realize. But Rebecca You're not going to like this. I mean, we stood for a little bit. After me and Dylan pulled the dogs out prosecutor told us to place you under arrest. All right. So, how does that work? What's that? So, how does that work? So, and again, I'm being super cordial >> know and I appreciate that. Right now from day one or from That's That's why we're doing it this way. Usually, I would I would already have you in custody. We talk about it after right? I ain't going to place you under arrest. I'm not I'm not going to go anywhere. I don't don't believe you. That's why we're having this conversation, right? Cuz you I feel bad cuz I didn't think this would be the outcome. However, it is you got to deal with it. So, what happens is you get brought back to the station. They interview you. Here? Yeah, right here. They interview you. They process you and then the judge determines whether you'll be released or not be released. I believe what their ultimate goal is is to have you get released, but have you have have it so when you get released, you're not allowed to own animals. But again, I don't know. Right. And I Like I said, given the circumstances and Right. everything everybody else put me through I had your husband take your son inside so he doesn't see this. Thank you. All right. So, let's do this. Let's walk over to my car. Can I finish my cigarette? I'm not going to go anywhere. Finish it while we walk over to the car. Uh, all right. Rebecca was fully aware of the fate that awaited her and that despite her desperate attempts to appear innocent, nothing could get her out of the situation. I want to stand right here for a minute. All right. So, just face the car. Then actually grab your phone for me now so I don't have to. Can I power it off? Yeah. Yeah, whatever you want to do. And it'll come with us. >> Yeah. All right. Yeah. I'm going to I'm going to cry like a baby, so do you have any paper towels or something to wipe Once we get back here, yeah. Once we get back here, yeah. >> It's not as It's not as scary as you think it is. >> I've never I've never been in trouble. I just It's >> Okay. It's not as scary as you think it is. My Yeah, my best friend lives just her cousin right next door. Okay. Um cuz they do want me to place you under arrest as well for charges, yeah. What For what? >> For animal cruelty. Towards the animals. >> Now again, just cuz you're getting charged with it doesn't mean you're guilty, but at this moment you you are going to be placed under arrest, taken back to the station, interviewed, processed, and then from there either released or not released. All right, but you can smoke your cigarette, finish that, and then How does this apply? That's what I don't understand. How does this What is my tie to this? I wasn't with the rescue. I know I >> Well, it's the fact that you're you're living in a house with 30 dead dogs. I I don't know. That's why I like And again, right? I'm not trying to be sarcastic or anything. No, I know. You're correct. You're not with it, but that's something that you have to express in court. I will say that. 139's coming. Yep. Walk you over to the car over this way. We're going to wait. Someone else is going to transport you. I'm just going to pull you out of the eye sight of everybody there, and then we'll go from there. Anything on you that's going to poke, prick, stick you, anything like that? Uh no. I have a lollipop in my back Rebecca and Brandon were initially charged with injuring the welfare of a minor and animal cruelty. As the investigation continued, authorities uncovered more deceased animals buried on the property, raising the number of dogs from 30 to nearly 100. It was also discovered that the couple had been affiliated with a local pet rescue. They used that connection to create an unauthorized online presence, >> [music] >> through which they defrauded people out of money, raising around $7,000 supposedly to care for the animals. However, the funds were never used for the dogs, leading authorities to suspect the couple had been keeping the money for themselves. In the end, Rebecca [music] was sentenced to 3 years in prison, while Brandon received a 90-day sentence.