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Police search for person who shot, killed family dog

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Metro Police are searching for someone who shot and killed a family dog.

Earlier this month, 9-month-old Morpheus was taken from his home and, the family believes, killed intentionally.

The family is heartbroken over the loss of their pit bull puppy.

And they have turned this case over to IMPD detectives to see if someone will come forward with information after the terrible discovery near their home at 96th Street and Cooper Road.

The morning of July 2 haunts Kati and Erik Aufderheide.

“We let our dogs out as we usually do and within 10 minutes Morpheus had disappeared,” Erik Aufderheide said.

The newlyweds searched for several hours before making a gruesome discovery.

“We found him the next morning. He had been shot and killed and his body laid for us to find him,” he said.

The couple enlisted IMPD and the Humane Society of Hamilton County to help find whoever is responsible.

“Someone out there knows something,” he said, “This was an intentional act and our family has been devastated.”

“This was clearly an intentional and malicious crime that was committed in an effort to hurt them,” Exec. Director of the Humane Society for Hamilton County, Rebecca Stevens, said.

Stevens knew Morpheus from the time the family adopted him from her humane society in December.

“Very gentle and sweet and good with everyone,” she said.

She feels offering a $2,000 reward will help IMPD detectives get the information they need to close the criminal investigation.

“That hopefully somebody who knows something, who saw something, will come forward and if the information leads to the conviction of whoever was responsible for this will get that reward money,” she said.

And with a conviction, she hopes to help bring some peace back to Erik and Kati.

“Now we wake up at night terrified that we had left her out or that something’s happened to her,” Erik Aufderheide said, “We’re afraid to leave our dogs out on our own property.”

If you have any information about what happened to Morpheus, you’re asked to call Crime Stoppers at 262-TIPS or you can call the IMPD detectives directly at 327-1431.