Earlier today police arrested John Murphy, 50, of Hanson for his involvement in a dogfighting venture.
Law enforcement began monitoring Murphy in 2021. Through wiretaps and surveillance of his social media, investigators learned that Murphy bred and trained pit bulls to participate in fights in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act.
According to the grand jury indictment, when police raided Murphy’s house they found,
items associated with possessing dogs for participation in an animal fighting venture, including: intravenous infusion equipment; syringes; antibiotics; injectable anabolic steroids; injectable corticosteroids; a skin stapler; forceps; equipment used to train dogs, including a treadmill, a slat mill, a carpet mill, and a flirt pole; dog training and fighting literature; a hanging digital scale used to weigh dogs for matches; written training regimens; break sticks used to separate fighting dogs; and a breeding stand used to immobilize female dogs during breeding to prevent harm while mating
To view the full text of the indictment, click the document below.
In addition to the criminal indictment, federal authorities filed a civil forfeiture complaint against the 13 pit bulls in Murphy’s possession.
The complaint, which is attached below, alleges that Murphy frequently messaged other members of the dogfighting community via Facebook. The messages included photos of injured dogs, fight results, and tips on how to breed and train fighting dogs.