DEMAND MAX PENALTY FOR DOG MURDERING EX COP JACOB WILKINSON

Honorable Judge David Hoffman; Saginaw County District Court 

&

John McColgan
Prosecuting Attorney

Prosecutors Office Info:

Address
111 S. Michigan Ave.
Room 212
Saginaw, MI  48602

Phone: (989) 790-5330
Fax: (989) 792-0803
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday

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On March 24, Saginaw County Road Commission employees reported finding the carcass in a ditch near the intersection of West Freeland and Hackett roads in Tittabawassee Township, according to Saginaw County Animal Care & Control Director Bonnie Kanicki. Two Animal Control officers went to retrieve the body, finding it had duct tape around its muzzle and both sets of legs.

Officers took the body back to headquarters and discovered the dog had been microchipped. This led investigators to the Humane Society of Macomb, where staff said the dog had been transferred to them from Detroit Animal Care and Control. The dog, originally named Randy, was then transferred to Pinckney-based Blue Star Service Dogs.

Randy was renamed Habs after a veteran who died of suicide and was trained by inmates of the Saginaw Correctional Facility, Kanicki said. Blue Star's program sees inmates within the prison's veterans block live with and train dogs for four to six months.

"These dogs master basic obedience, command training, and pre-task training and basic tasks such as turning off and on lights, picking up objects, and opening doors," Blue Star's website states.

Though Habs came short of meeting the service dog standards, he completed obedience training, Kanicki said. When Habs' training was finished, corrections officer Jacob S. Wilkinson adopted him, having been familiar with him through the training process, Kanicki said.

Investigators also sent the carcass for a necropsy — the animal equivalent of an autopsy — to determine the cause of death. The necropsy showed Habs had been shot three times in its head with .22-caliber bullets, Kanicki said.

"It just shocks the conscience," Kanicki said. "That dog suffered greatly."

By the time of the carcass' discovery, Wilkinson was no longer employed by the MDOC and was then working for the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, Kanicki said.

Investigators interviewed Wilkinson, who confessed to killing Habs and dumping his body in the ditch, Kanicki said. Wilkinson told investigators he had been trying to trim Habs' nails when the dog nipped at him, prompting Wilkinson to wrap him in duct tape, drive him out to the ditch, shoot him three times, and leave his carcass, Kanicki said.

Wilkinson is believed to have killed Habs in September, with snow concealing the body for months.

Authorities issued a warrant for Wilkinson on Monday, April 25. The next afternoon, Wilkinson voluntarily appeared before Saginaw County District Judge David D. Hoffman via Zoom for arraignment on one count of second-degree torturing or killing of an animal. The felony is punishable by up to seven years in prison.

Defense attorney Michael Beer appeared with Wilkinson at the arraignment. He said Wilkinson graduated with honors from Saginaw Valley State University, is a current member of the National Guard, is an EMT, and was employed by the MDOC for six months. MDOC's own records show Wilkinson was employed from May 2, 2021, through Jan. 27, during which time he worked at the Saginaw Correctional Facility.

Wilkinson was a Genesee County Sheriff's deputy until Friday, April 22, Beer said.

"Unfortunately, due to the charges he did end up losing his job on Friday," Beer said.

He said Wilkinson lives with his father in Saginaw and has forfeited all of his firearms. He asked the judge to set a personal recognizance bond.

"He is not a danger, he will not flee," Beer said.

Hoffman freed Wilkinson on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond. Conditions of his bond are that he not possess firearms or animals.

The judge scheduled Wilkinson's case for a pre-examination conference at 10:15 a.m. on May 9.

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