Margaret Nevils: Georgia woman arrested for killing 14 dogs and stuffing some in freezer
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
GROVETOWN, GEORGIA: A total of 14 dead dogs, 11 of which were stuffed in a refrigerator and freezer, were found by the Columbia County authorities recently when they responded to a welfare check on a home in Grovetown.
41-year-old Margaret Elizabeth Nevils of Grovetown was subsequently arrested on a charge of cruelty to animals, according to The Augusta Chronicle.
Margaret Nevils hadn't been seen at her home since October 2023
As per reports, since Nevils had not been seen in her neighborhood since October, last year, one of her neighbors called the police. When deputies arrived at the house, they noticed there was excrement all over the floor and peeped through a window whose blinds were partially drawn.
A skinny pit bull approached the window. A constable then rang the doorbell and knocked on the door, but nobody answered.
The constable turned around and peered through a window into the kitchen, where he saw that there were additional feces all over the floor. It looked like the dogs had chewed holes in the kitchen and garage walls. When deputies called, Nevils' phone went straight to voicemail, according to the affidavit, as per Law and Crime.
Margaret Nevils charged with animal cruelty
Police pushed their way through the rear door. Deputies entered the house after the pit bull was apprehended by an animal services officer. Horrifyingly, they discovered three dead dogs in the bedroom, three in the refrigerator, and one in the freezer. Around the house, there were seven dead puppies as well.
The dogs were all at different stages of disintegration. According to the affidavit, the constable observed a side-by-side refrigerator and freezer and "noticed that blood was seeping from the freezer section of the refrigerator."
“I opened the freezer door and saw a black trash bag with an animal foot sticking out,” the deputy wrote. He added, "There were also multiple empty dog cages. The home’s furniture was shredded."
Major Steve Morris told Law&Crime that detectives located Nevils, at her workplace. According to Morris, Nevils told investigators she was running an adoption and dog rescue service but became overwhelmed and decided to leave the dogs behind.
Deputies arrested Nevils on an animal cruelty charge and took her to the Columbia County Jail. She has since been released from jail on a $5000 bond.
