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Updated: November 11, 2024 @ 1:56 pm
Lily, an 8-year-old mixed-breed dog who spent the first two years of her life fending for herself as a stray, was shot and killed in late March in rural Mankato. Rodney Wayne Lyon, 42, of Mankato, faces felonies for endangerment by intentionally discharging a firearm and mistreatment of an animal, plus four gross misdemeanors for harassment in Blue Earth County District Court.
Lily, an 8-year-old mixed-breed dog who spent the first two years of her life fending for herself as a stray, was shot and killed in late March in rural Mankato. Rodney Wayne Lyon, 42, of Mankato, faces felonies for endangerment by intentionally discharging a firearm and mistreatment of an animal, plus four gross misdemeanors for harassment in Blue Earth County District Court.
MANKATO — The suspect in the March fatal shooting of a dog in South Bend Township was charged Tuesday.
Rodney Wayne Lyon, 42, of Mankato, faces felonies for endangerment by intentionally discharging a firearm and mistreatment of an animal, plus four gross misdemeanors for harassment in Blue Earth County District Court.
An investigation into Lyon began after a family on Neubert Lane reported someone shot their dog, Lily, while the mixed-breed was outside on their deck on March 30. Two minors were inside the home at the time.
The family had called 911 on March 14 after finding a handwritten note left near their garage threatening to kill the dog if it kept barking, according to a criminal complaint. Neighbors told investigators they found a similar note about their dog on the same day, followed by one of their vehicles getting keyed on March 16.
The complaint states Lyon, who lived nearby, denied shooting the dog. He reportedly admitted to leaving threatening notes in his South Bend neighborhood as well as a note in 2023 in Mankato.
Lyon had moved into the neighborhood within the past year. He previously lived in Mankato, where people living nearby him also reportedly found threatening notes about their dogs.
One person told police they found a note on their porch in June 2023. Another person said they received a note under their car’s windshield a couple years ago.
Court records further detail Lyon leaving notes to dog owners along his mail route as a postal worker. A co-worker reportedly told police that Lyon told him he wanted to shoot barking dogs in his neighborhood about four months before the shooting.
The Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office filed a petition for an extreme risk protection order on Sept. 10 seeking to prohibit Lyon from purchasing or possessing a firearm. Law enforcement officers reportedly recovered a shotgun from his residence using a search warrant in April, but other items found at the scene indicated he likely had more firearms and may have moved them to avoid discovery.
At a Sept. 18 hearing on the petition, Lyon reportedly testified he never threatened or harmed any people. He asked for the petition to be dismissed and suggested he would file lawsuits if his property wasn’t returned to him.
Judge Kristine Weeks granted the sheriff’s office request. As part of the order, the sheriff’s office is allowed to retain his seized shotgun, Lyon had to turn over any other firearms in his possession, and he was barred from purchasing or possessing firearms through Sept. 23, 2025.
Weeks noted Lyon had applied for his latest permit to purchase a firearm within a couple weeks prior to the Sept. 18 hearing. Her finding factored in fear felt by neighbors, including one who moved away since the shooting.
“Mr. Lyon’s actions have caused the victims and their neighbors to fear for their safety and the safety of their families,” Weeks stated in the order. “For all these reasons, Mr. Lyon is a person who poses a significant danger to other persons.”
Lyon has a first appearance in court scheduled for Jan. 16.
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