Posted By Travis Uresk| March 1st, 20223 | Murder | Video |
Cadaver Dogs Find Critical Evidence
Pinder wrapped their bodies in explosives to blow them up into small pieces.
December 1, 2000 • by Ken Wallentine, Attorney
In July 2000, in a courthouse in rural Utah, a grisly tale of violent death and corpse mutilation unfolded. Witnesses recounted the events of October 25, 1998, when former federal drug informant and alleged methamphetamine cook John Pinder beat ranch hands June Flood and Rex Tanner with a baseball bat, then executed the pair and mutilated their bodies.
Pinder, recently convicted of double first-degree murder, was an eccentric rancher with a penchant for weapons and parading his pet male African lion around town. Earlier in 1998, he gained national attention when I prosecuted him for letting his lion cruise Main Street in the back of a pickup truck.
After Pinder shot Flood and Tanner, he wrapped their bodies in explosives and blew them into small pieces. Not satisfied, he gathered the remains with the aid of another ranch hand, then temporarily stashed them in large garbage bags hidden in bushes. Returning the following morning with two ranch hands, he burned the remains in a steel drum. Still distressed that some of the remains were identifiable as human body parts, he once again gathered the remains and blasted them over a large parcel of ground, burying much of the remains and debris.
It was a homicide investigator's nightmare. The bodies were blasted twice and burned beyond any recognition, with no visually identifying features remaining. Tiny fragments were spread over acres of ground. Fortunately for the detectives of the Duchesne County (Utah) Sheriff's Office, Snoopy and Missy were ready to go to work on the case. Missy, handled by Sgt. Wally Hendricks, and Snoopy, handled by Sgt. Dave Boren, are specially trained as cadaver search dogs. They had recently proven their skills in locating a Native American burial site, following reports that some bones had washed away in a flood. A medical examiner's investigation revealed that the site dated back well into the early 1800s. The dogs' work made it possible for appropriate reburial of the remains.
Snoopy and Missy identified the bushes where the body parts had been temporarily stashed, and the canine duo lead investigators to a pair of feet, clad in distinctive stockings. Mates for the stockings were later discovered in Flood's home. Investigators also found the skull and some facial flesh of the male victim. Prosecutors still worried, however, about proving that Flood was indeed dead, since nothing more than her feet had been identified, even though the Utah State Crime Laboratory had been able to identify some flesh fragments through DNA analysis.
A year after the initial discovery and Pinder's arrest, detectives gained an important lead when Filomena Valencia Ruiz, the ranch hand present at the time of the beating and murder, agreed to testify against Pinder in order to avoid the risk of the death penalty. Investigators learned of the second explosion and burn site. Missy and Snoopy again went to work. Sniffing over acres of ground, they located several fragments of human tissue, and one key find - part of Flood's skull. Now prosecutors would have no difficulty in conclusively establishing Flood's death. More significantly, and highly critical to Pinder's ultimate conviction, the dogs' discoveries corroborated the co-defendant's testimony about the chain of events and the second body mutilation site.
Cadaver dogs often begin their careers as search-and-rescue dogs. Search-and- rescue training helps the dog develop solid search behaviors that ease the graduation to specialized cadaver dog training. Cadaver dogs are trained to utilize their keen sense of smell to detect gases given off by a body's decomposition process. The gases rise through the earth to the surface, or in the case of a water burial, to the surface of the water. It is not uncommon for a cadaver dog to locate the scent of remains buried 30 to 50 feet underground in various types of soil, and up to 200 feet below the water's surface.
Cadaver dogs work best in moderate weather, with temperatures ranging from 40- to 60-degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures above 85-degrees Fahrenheit result in a marked decrease in a cadaver dog's performance. Moist air and ground conditions are helpful. Humidity should be above 20 percent for optimal results. A slight wind - at least 5 miles per hour - is also important. The higher the wind speed, the narrower the "scent cone" becomes. The scent cone is the area originating at the source of the scent, which spreads out in a conical shape to form the place where the dog can locate the scent of human remains.
Training begins by introducing the dog to scent material on a play toy, similar to the first step for training a narcotics detector dog. The basic concept goes back to the time of the famous Pavlov, who taught dogs to salivate at the sound of the bell by conditioning them to expect dinner after the bell rang. After introduction of the scent material, the dog is taught an appropriate alert behavior, usually barking and sitting, when it locates the source of cadaver odor.
When the dog has shown proficiency with locating and alerting to the cadaver scent, other variables come into play. Various distracting odors, ranging from common garbage to animal carcasses, are placed in the search area. Throughout the course of training, the dog is continually "proofed" on non-cadaver odors to demonstrate that the dog will display the alert behavior only in response to human remains. Numerous organizations, including the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR) and the North American Police Working Dog Association (NAPWDA), set certification standards for cadaver detector canines.
Evidence of a dog's ability to track and identify particular human scent has been accepted in American courts for the past century. The handler must be able to testify about the dog's initial training, experience and successes in searching, and any certifications achieved by the dog. In a recent Canadian case, prosecutors introduced testimony that a tracking dog "identified" a suspect by scent several miles from the scene of an armed robbery, even though the suspect's scent had been lost at one point during a long, circuitous pursuit. The dog's identification was significant in obtaining a conviction from the trial judge.
Cadaver dogs have played key roles in many high-profile investigations. Prior to their successes in the Pinder murders, Duchesne County Sheriff's canine deputies Missy and Snoopy had been loaned out with their handlers to assist in the manhunt for accused cop killers Jason Wayne McVean and Alan "Monte" Pilon. McVean and Pilon, along with Robert Matthew Mason, were alleged to have murdered Cortez (Colo.) Police Officer Dale Claxton, and wounded two other officers in an assault during a May 1998 traffic stop. Mason allegedly shot Deputy Kelly Bradford, of the San Juan County (Utah) Sheriff's Office, five days after the initial assault. Mason then committed suicide. Hunters discovered Pilon's body in April 2000, although whether he committed suicide or was shot in the head by another person remains a mystery. McVean has not yet been found and the search continues.
Sergeants Hendricks and Boren and their cadaver dogs joined 500 police officers from Utah and Colorado, as well as the Navajo Nation Tribal Police, in the massive manhunt stretching over several months. The dogs were used to clear canyons and remote washes in efforts to maintain some semblance of safety for the searchers. The dogs were able to clear large areas with ease, saving hundreds of hours and keeping officers out of harm's way. One researcher calculated that every hour that a search dog worked saved law enforcement agencies $45 in labor costs alone, without considering the tremendous enhancement to the officers' safety.
Many cadaver dogs are owned and trained by volunteer organizations that freely donate their time and talents to law enforcement. Beth Bradshaw, president of the Georgia Rescue Dog Association, has used her two cadaver search dogs in countless cases to assist officers, always at no charge to the public.
Recently, in a most bizarre turn of events, a headless body and two heads were discovered. Beth and her dogs, Tashi and Jannu, were called in to help find the missing body along a river and surrounding area. Ultimately, the dogs located several garbage bags with body parts not far from where the second head was found. A facial reconstruction is being completed and identification is pending. The dogs may well have helped solve a homicide not even yet reported to law enforcement.
Few cases pose greater frustrations than suspected homicides of missing persons. Any officer who has been involved in a search for a missing victim knows that law enforcement needs every possible break. Cadaver dogs, though not likely to become widely known or ever be the subject of a television series, give cops just the break they need when searching for human remains.
Murder in the Wicked West: Utah’s Lion King Release Date Dec. 2022
I bought the episode, it should play.
Pinder’s ranch murder case goes to jury
Pinder is accused of killing Rex K. Tanner, 48, and June Flood, 59, on Oct. 25, 1998, and blowing up their bodies in an attempt to cover up the crime. Attorneys for Duchesne County and the state say Pinder drove to Flood's home that night near the Strawberry River, beat her and Tanner with a bat, drove them to a remote section on his ranch about 15 miles southwest of Duchesne where he shot them and then blew up their bodies with explosives he kept on his ranch. He then burned some of their body parts, tossed some in the river and buried some with a bulldozer.
Prosecutors allege that Pinder was upset at Flood for assisting his estranged wife in stealing from him documents vital to his ranch.
From the witness stand, Pinder admitted assisting his own personal ranch hand, Filomeno Valenchia-Ruiz, in disposing and blowing up some body parts of Tanner and Flood. However, he said Valenchia-Ruiz killed the pair.
"I did not kill Rex Tanner and June Flood," he told jurors.
Valenchia-Ruiz, 36, is serving a life prison sentence for his role in the crimes. However, he told jurors he "accompanied" Pinder when Tanner and Flood were killed and blown up. He said the two were killed by "my boss, John Pinder."
Pinder, on the other hand, said he only helped Valenchia-Ruiz dispose of body parts out of fear and mistrust. He said if he didn't help he feared Valenchia-Ruiz's connections to the Mexican Mafia.
"I had to or I would have been shot," Pinder said.
He also said he didn't seek the help of Duchesne County authorities because he believed they were trying to set him up and seize his ranch.
Basically, he said he did not trust them.
Even though most physical evidence of the crimes was destroyed, prosecutors presented several witnesses who testified Pinder talked of the killings. Valenchia-Ruiz testified he saw Pinder beat Tanner and Flood, watched Pinder shoot both moments after they stepped out of his truck and then saw him place bags of explosives on their bodies.
Ranch hand David Brunyer, who helped Pinder and Valenchia-Ruiz gather body parts, testified Pinder said he killed the two because they were "maggots, liars and thieves and now they are vaporized." A former cellmate of Pinder also testified Pinder admitted killing the two and saying it was a rush "knowing" he was going to "get away with it."
The daughter of Barbara DeHart, Pinder's girlfriend, testified her mother told her Pinder had admitted killing the two. DeHart's father also testified he was told a similar story.
DeHart, who served nine months in jail following a conviction for helping Pinder destroy evidence, and ranch accountant Joe Wallen testified Pinder stayed home the night Tanner and Flood were killed.
For Pinder to be acquitted, jurors would have to believe the defense's theory that Valenchia-Ruiz killed Tanner and Flood over a drug dispute and that Pinder was intimidated into helping dispose of body parts. The defense attempted to show that Valenchia-Ruiz was a dangerous, powerful member of the the Mexican Mafia involved in drug and weapons smuggling rings.
A conviction would mean jurors believe the testimony of those who said Pinder confessed to the killings.
Sheriff: Utah killer John Pinder may have more than 2 victims
August 23, 2012
He's already serving two life sentences for the murders of two ranch hands, but Duchesne County authorities believe John Pinder may be responsible for at least two other deaths.
In a status report filed in U.S. District Court, Duchesne County Sheriff Travis Mitchell writes that a Remington rifle, two pistols and a maroon tote bag continue to be held in the sheriff's evidence locker in connection with the "ongoing investigation of at least two additional cold-case murders."
The report was filed in response to a 2011 lawsuit filed by Pinder's parents, Robert and Virginia Pinder, who are suing the sheriff for the return of dozens of firearms seized from their ranch after John Pinder in 1998 killed ranch hand Rex Tanner, 48, and Tanner's girlfriend, 59-year-old June Flood.
The weapons were seized from the Idaho home of Barbara DeHart's estranged husband. DeHart was Pinder's girlfriend at the time of the murders.
According to a Kootenai County Sheriff's Department police report filed within Mitchell's status report, DeHart's husband told police that DeHart and Pinder came to his home after the murders of Tanner and Flood and left the firearms and a bag in his house. He also told police that his wife had told him, "I hope they don't find the vehicle with the two bodies in it, which is buried on the ranch."
Kootenai authorities also interviewed DeHart's daughter, who told police that her mother had said Pinder had killed at least four people, and that there were two females buried in a car somewhere on Pinder's Utah ranch.
Mitchell did not return a call seeking comment on the status of the cold-case investigations.
Pinder kidnapped and shot Tanner and Flood on Oct. 25, 1998.
At Pinder's trial in 8th District Court, another ranch hand, Filomeno Valenchia Ruiz, testified that he witnessed the slayings and admitted he helped to blow up the victims' bodies with explosives and helped gather body parts because he feared Pinder would kill him, too.
Tanner had stopped working after injuring his leg and Pinder had ordered Flood off the ranch, court documents state, after accusing Flood of stealing several documents that would have aided Pinder's estranged wife in divorce proceedings. Pinder had frequently expressed animosity toward both victims, according to the court records.
Ruiz testified that he was with Pinder when the ranch owner confronted the victims at Flood's home. After beating them with a baseball bat, Pinder drove the injured couple at rifle point to the ranch, where he shot them, Ruiz said. He said Pinder piled ammonium nitrate and dynamite around the victims and set off a blast.
Pinder, now 54, was convicted of two counts of capital murder and is serving consecutive terms of life with the possibility of parole.
Magistrate Judge Evelyn Furse met with attorneys this month regarding the lawsuit and scheduled a trial for September 2013.
Pinder's parents claim in their lawsuit that the seized firearms should be returned to them at their ranch, JJNP Ranches in Duchesne, since the weapons were not used by their son in the crimes.
Mitchell outlines in his statement, however, that many of the weapons either belonged to other people, to Pinder himself and not his parents, or were being held because of the cold-case investigations. Mitchell also says that one gun, a 9mm Smith & Wesson, was destroyed by the Sheriff's Office because it had been altered to be "rapid fire," which is illegal.
Pinder's parents also asked for family photographs to be returned, but Mitchell said the Sheriff's Office never had possession of the photographs. Rather, the photographs were used by the defense during Pinder's sentencing.
Man convicted of killing 2 employees, blowing up bodies loses appeal
July 21, 2015
SALT LAKE CITY — Convicted double murderer John Pinder has lost another appeal.
The Utah Supreme Court Tuesday unanimously rejected Pinder's appeal for a new trial. He contends there is new evidence that shows he didn't commit the grisly 1998 killings of two former employees.
Pinder, 56, was convicted of kidnapping Rex Tanner and June Flood from their home in October 1998 with the help of ranch hand Filomeno Valenchia Ruiz. The victims were taken to Pinder's ranch west of Lake Canyon in Duchesne County, where they were killed. Pinder then used dynamite and a bulldozer to try to dispose of their bodies.
In 2012, a 4th District judge rejected Pinder's appeal for a new trial. He claimed he had new evidence to prove his innocence while also making contentions of prosecutorial and juror misconduct during his trial.
In rejecting his latest appeal on Tuesday, the state's high court noted that all of the new witnesses Pinder had that he argued could prove his innocence were "seriously wanting in credibility." The court also noted that the witnesses' claims were "inconsistent with absolutely established, known undisputed facts," and that one of the witnesses in particular was a "bamboozler and professional scam artist" whose testimony could not be trusted.
Prior to the murders, Pinder was known in Duchesne County for owning an African lion as a pet that he used to let ride in the back of his pickup truck when he drove into town.
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes released a statement Tuesday after Pinder's latest appeal was rejected.
"This case demonstrates our office's firm commitment to ensuring justice is served in Utah criminal cases, to upholding valid convictions on appeal, and to protecting the rights of victims and their families," he said.