Two of three Easton people who conspired to kill two pit bulls took plea deals on Thursday.
Michelle Lorish and Brandy Pfeiffer along with Jeff Paul Everitt allegedly beat the dogs over the head, then dumped them on railroad tracks in Lower Saucon Township to make it look like they had been killed by a train.
The dogs were found dead Dec. 5 near Riverside Drive and Redington Road. One was had a severed head, police said. The other was cut in half. But a necropsy proved each dog died from head injuries.
A Northampton County emergency dispatcher said Lorish called the day before asking about getting rid of the dogs. Lorish was their owner, police said.
Lorish, 36, of the first block of North Warren Street, and Pfeiffer, 41, of the 1100 block of Ferry Street, each pleaded no contest to conspiracy to commit the crime of cruelty to animals.
Each of them faces a maximum of five years in prison when they’re sentenced March 17 by Northampton County Judge Craig Dally.
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By pleading no contest, neither one admits she conspired to be cruel to an animal. Each admits that prosecutors have enough evidence to win a conviction at trial. The plea is treated the same as a guilty plea for sentencing purposes.
Two charges of cruelty to animals and 10 related charges are still pending for Everitt, 41, who lives with Pfeiffer.
Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
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