Sentencing Postponed

The August 21 sentencing date for Dick Miller and Jim Federer in the Rufus dognapping case was postponed until September 2.  No reason was given by Judge Slagle, but insiders speculate that the delay may be related the recent arrest of Betsy Miller.  Mrs. Miller has not yet been charged in the case and maintains her innocence while free on a $25,000 bond.

Betsy Miller Arrested in Dogapping Case

Betsy Miller, Town Council Chairperson, has been notably quiet since her husband Dick and employee Jim Federer plead guilty to the Rufus abduction on July 24.  Now we know why.  Chief Burley announced this morning that Mrs. Miller was arrested as an accomplice in the dognapping case.  “After several interviews Mrs. Miller admitted that she once told her husband to get Rufus out of town.  But she claims it was just a hypothetical discussion to sell him to an unsuspecting family out of state.  Dick put the plan into action and it worked like a charm until Rufus escaped from a Greensburg, Indiana family and found his way back to Pearlville.  We interviewed the Indiana family and believe them to be innocent victims.”

Cincinnati attorney John Cheatham read a statement from Mrs. Miller: “I have served the citizens of Pearlville faithfully for many years, always putting them first in my life.  Some irresponsible people thought it was a good joke to elect a dog to the Town Council, and it would be funny if not for the responsibility and vision required to see Pearlville through these difficult times.  Government is not a joke, and I will make no apology for wishing to get that dog off the Council.  But I took no part in it, and I look forward to proving my innocence.  It is tragic that a misunderstanding resulted in Dick and Jim taking action on what was nothing more than the kind of innocent wishful thinking that we all engage in from time to time.  I had no idea that they would act on it, and they did not tell me about it afterwards.  My heart goes out to Wayne Kobel for the temporary loss of a pet that he loves.  While this was a regrettable event for the town, I look forward to getting past this and continuing to serve the citizens of Pearlville.”

More Questions Than Answers

There were plenty of questions among the breakfast crowd at the Cozy Corner this morning regarding who knew what in the Rufus dognapping case.  Where is Betsy Miller and what did she know about it?  Why would Dick Miller dognap Rufus if Betsy didn’t put him up to it?  Etc, etc.  The common denominator voiced by many was that Betsy did not hide her antipathy towards Rufus on the Town Council.  “She had nothing against Rufus personally,” said George Heffernon, “she just could not stand having a dog on the council especially when he usually voted against her.  She thought we were all idjits for electing him.  I heard her say that more than once.”

Plea Bargain but Not Over

Pearlville Town Hall this morning: Dick Miller and Jim Federer accepted a plea bargain in the Rufus abduction case after both of them claimed innocence yesterday.  According to Assistant County Prosecutor Roger Kleinhofer, Mr. Federer was the first to admit guilt when presented with evidence that Rufus had recognized him during the abduction.  “There has never been a case in this county that resulted in a conviction based on the testimony of a dog, and he knew that.  He also knew that stranger things have happened and he didn’t want to go there.  Apparently there is some friction between Federer and the Millers, and once he broke he had no problem fingering Dick Miller as the leader of the abduction, which Mr. Miller then admitted.  We plea bargained to save the town from the potential national attention resulting from taking this case to trial.”

Both men are out on bond and sentencing is scheduled for August 21^st.  When asked if Town Council Chairperson Betsy Miller had any involvement, Mr. Kleinhofer said that the investigation is still ongoing.  “Anyone related to the two men may be persons of interest and may be interviewed for additional information before we close the investigation.”

Arrests in Dognapping Case

This morning Dick Miller, husband of Town Council Chairperson Betsy Miller, was arrested and taken into custody by Chief Burley.  Also arrested was Jim Federer, an employee of Miller’s at the Pearl Winery.   Miller and Federer are charged with the abduction of Rufus on May 31 in Wilmington.  Both men deny any involvement.  They will be arraigned today at the Town Hall and are expected to plead innocent.  Betsy Miller is outraged: “This is the most absurd thing that has ever happened in this town.  My husband is charged with dognapping based on the dog’s story?  Who is the chief kidding?”  Chief Burley’s comment was brief: “In two weeks of investigation we have found evidence and motive to support Rufus’s story.  It will all come out in due time.”

What is the story?

Rob Tricklefinger asked at the Cozy Corner this morning: “What’s up with the Rufus story?  Two weeks ago Wayne took him out to the Grassmans to get Klak to translate his dognapping story.  He even said that Rufus maybe knew who took him, and we hear nothing since.”  This question generated much speculation among the breakfast crowd.  Some thought Rufus had no story to tell, and some thought that maybe Klak couldn’t understand him.  “The key is that Klak said two weeks ago that Rufus might know who took him,” offered Joe Wittenberg.  “That plus two weeks of silence from both Wayne Kobel and Chief Burley.  Neither of them has been coming here for breakfast or lunch.  They’re avoiding us because they know something that they don’t want anyone to know until they know it for sure.”  “That’s all baloney,” said Ralph Meiker.  “I asked Wayne about it down at the Garden Center last week.  He said it wasn’t much of a story so he didn’t see any point in telling it.  He’s just glad to have Rufus back.”  That comment was greeted with skepticism by most, as Wayne is known to comment openly on lesser issues.  So, Wayne Kobel, Chief Burley, what is the story on Rufus?

Debriefing Rufus

Wayne Kobel told friends at the Cozy Corner this morning that he left Rufus at Grassman Camp to see if he will open up to them about his abduction.  Since returning home from the hospital on July 2, Rufus has recovered nearly 100% from his ordeal.  “The Grassmans understand dog language, and if he has any story to tell, Klak can translate it in sign language.  I think Rufus is ready, and I’d sure like to know what happened to him.”  Last week Wayne reported that Klak Grassman believes Rufus recognized at least one of his abductors.

Rufus Update

Today Rufus returned home to the Wayne Kobel family, one week after dramatically showing up on the Kobel doorstep following his dognapping and 25-day disappearance.  “Dr. Marling and her staff in Hillsboro took good care of him.  Rufus still needs some recuperation but he’s in pretty good shape now,” said Wayne in a phone interview.  When asked how soon Rufus might return to his seat on the Town Council, Wayne deferred the question.  “We haven’t even brought up the subject yet.  When he gets back to 100%, we’ll see what he wants to do.  Right now I’m more interested in who dognapped him.  Klak Grassman was here today and told me that Rufus knows who took him but he’s not ready to talk about it.  When he’s up to it we’ll get with the Grassmans and see what this is all about.”

Rufus Returns!

In a dramatic turn of events, this morning Rufus returned to Wayne Kobel’s home after disappearing for 25 days.  He was reportedly in poor physical condition and was rushed to the Hillsboro Animal Hospital.  “I opened the front door to get the paper and there he was on the porch.  He looked up at me but he couldn’t move.  I carried him inside and gave him some water, then we took him to the vet.  We don’t know what happened to him, but we are so thankful that he made it back to us,” said Wayne in a phone interview.

Wiper readers will recall that Rufus was dognapped on May 31 from Wayne’s car in the parking lot of the Wilmington Office Depot and there were no solid leads on his abductors.  In a phone interview with Dr. Kristen Marling, she told the Wiper “Rufus is malnourished and dehydrated, plus he has a number of superficial wounds and contusions.  It will be a couple days before we have a good feel for his prognosis.”

Rufus Alert Cancelled

Wilmington Police officially cancelled the alert for information leading to the whereabouts of Rufus.  “Experience has shown that if you can’t find an abducted dog in a week, you’re not going to find him,” was the official word from Wilmington, where Rufus was taken from Wayne Kobel’s SUV on May 31.  Chief Burley added “They are right of course.  At this point the odds are very poor of somebody in Wilmington coming up with valuable information.  And we know Rufus is not here in Pearlville, so there’s not much we can do.  According to the experts, the dognappers probably took him out of the state and sold him to an unsuspecting party.”  Wayne Kobel remains determined to find Rufus.  “I’m not giving up.  I know the police departments can’t devote any more resources to this, but I have sent his description to veterinarians and animal shelters in the five state area, and sooner or later he’s going to turn up.”