Marines suspected in horse shootings headed to Nevada

RENO, Nev. -- Two Marines based in California were headed back to Nevada under tight security Thursday to face charges in the slaughter of 34 wild horses that has stirred outrage nationwide.

"We will probably hold them in solitary," Washoe County Sheriff's Lt. Janice Lee said.

Lance Cpl. Darien Brock, 20, and Lance Cpl. Scott Brendle, 21, were to be to held at the Washoe County jail in lieu of $65,000 bail, awaiting an arraignment Monday in Virginia City.

The two, along with a high-school friend, are accused of shooting the mustangs while on holiday leave. Most of the horses were shot multiple times with high-powered rifles on Dec. 27 in the canyon just east of Reno.

Citing the safety of the suspects, sheriff's deputies refused to disclose the Marines' scheduled arrival time at the Reno jail.

Some of the horses were foals and others were pregnant. At least one was blasted in the head with a fire extinguisher.

Several tried to limp away and a few were still alive when authorities discovered them over the next two days and destroyed them.

All three suspects face the same charges - grand theft, grand larceny and killing of another person's animal - punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

The third man, Anthony Merlino, 20, was arraigned Jan. 15 and is free on $65,000 bond.

The shootings drew outrage from local and national horse protection groups and animal advocates who helped raise a $35,000 reward. Friends of Animals based in Darien, Conn., is urging the Marines to launch their own independent inquiry.

"There should be no place for such malicious cruelty in the United States Marine Corps," group president Priscilla Feral said.

The suspects were arrested Jan. 12 - Merlino at a construction site in Sparks, Nev., Brock at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Brendle at Twenty Nine Palms outside Los Angeles.

Former neighbors have described Merlino as an over-enthusiastic hunter who liked to brag about his feats and once gutted a deer on the living room carpet.

Brock, a rifleman in the infantry, has won commendations for his overseas service. He told a San Diego television station in a jailhouse interview he was there when the other two shot one horse.

"But we did not kill 34 horses that night," Brock said.

Investigators believe all three shot the horses. They have no information to lead them to believe others were involved, but the case remains under investigation, Lee said.

"We are still developing evidence, discussing the case, preparing it for prosecution," he said.

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