Mankato man charged with fatally shooting barking dog after leaving threatening notes

NEAR MANKATO, Minn. (FOX 9) - The shooting death of a dog in rural Blue Earth County led to charges against a man who admitted to leaving threatening notes about a neighbor's barking dogs. 

Rodney Wayne Lyon, 42, of Mankato is charged with dangerous intentional discharge of a firearm that endangers safety, animal torture and four counts of harassment.

Dog found fatally shot

The shooting was reported around 6:30 p.m. on March 30 in rural Blue Earth County, according to a criminal complaint filed in Blue Earth County.

The dog was reportedly found bleeding on the second-level deck of a home by a 13-year-old who lived there, and was near the deck when the shooting happened. 

The 13-year-old told law enforcement that "he heard a bang or a pop" and started screaming when he found the dog on the deck. 

Three other people, including a 10-year-old, were at the home at the time of the shooting. The 13-year-old's bedroom is also next to the deck, separated only by a glass door.

The criminal complaint states a forensic veterinarian determined the dog died from a through-and-through gunshot wound. 

Threatening notes

The owner of the dog then told responding deputies that on March 14, he called 911 after finding a threatening note underneath a rock near his garage.

The note reportedly read, "If your dogs are out barking one more f------ time, they are DEAD! You disrespectful ignorant A------!!!" 

On the same date, other neighbors who live close to Lyon reported finding notes outside their homes. 

That note said, "loose dogs/barking dogs are illegal. Shut the f------ up + keep them in the house or move. Neighborhood is sick + f------ tired of it. If you don’t listen they are DEAD!!! You ignorant disrespectful a------!"

Those neighbors reported one of their vehicles was also keyed two days after the note was found.

Other people who previously lived next to Lyon reported finding threatening notes in June 2023 that had similar verbiage and threatened to "put a bullet in the head" of their barking dogs. 

Another witness who had lived next to Lyon in 2022 told a Blue Earth County detective that he found a similar note on the windshield wiper of his vehicle, which was also keyed. 

Investigation

Around 6:30 p.m. on March 30, the same day the dog was fatally shot, a witness called police to report hearing gunshots from a nearby home and pointed it out to law enforcement. 

Responding officers found the home belonged to and was occupied by Lyon.

Law enforcement then spoke to Lyon, who said he was home the evening of March 30, and that someone had come to his home to look at some motorcycle parts he was selling. That person, according to Lyon, arrived at 6 p.m. and left around 6:30 p.m.

The criminal complaint notes the shooting was reported at 6:35 p.m. 

Lyon then admitted to the Blue Earth County detective that he had written threatening notes to dog owners in rural Blue Earth County as well as another dog owner when he lived in Mankato.

However, Lyon denied shooting the dog, according to the criminal complaint. 

Law enforcement then executed a search warrant for Lyon's home, where they reportedly recovered "numerous firearm-related items including gun cases, instructional manuals for rifles and ammunition." 

The detective then spoke to a coworker of Lyon, who reported that Lyon told him he wanted to shoot his neighbor's dogs because they were barking. 

What comes next? 

Lyon's first court appearance is set for the morning of Jan. 16, 2025.