Medically discharged in January, Army veteran Marinna Rollins was found dead in her apartment on Sunday, after police were called following the discovery of her body by friends. The cause of her death has not been released.
At some point between April 16-17, Rollins, 23, and her boyfriend Jarren Heng, 25, tied a pit bull to a tree and laughed while they shot and killed it, recording the event and posting it to Facebook.
The two were scheduled to appear on May 16 at the Cumberland County Courthouse in Fayetteville, North Carolina, to face felony animal cruelty charges, Stripes.com reported.
After being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues, Rollins was, along with her medical discharge papers, provided with a highly trained emotional support animal (ESA), in this case a grey male pitbull, which had been chosen by her estranged husband.
Rollins' husband has remained anonymous due to death threats made toward Heng and his ex-wife.
Heng and Rollins were both arrested April 25, and charged with cruelty to animals. An original $10,000 bond had been increased to $25,000 on each, at the request of the county prosecutor.
ESA dogs are commonly offered to veterans to assist in recovery from post traumatic stress disorder.
An ESA dog must be authorized by a physician, and the animals are permitted on airline flights. In addition, landlords must allow the dogs in apartments where pets are otherwise banned.
