On Thursday, May 4, a man was charged for the shootings in Beulah, Fla., on April 17 that left eight horses and five dogs dead.
   
Craig Smith, 24, was charged with firearm possession by a convicted felon on Monday and was already in prison on Thursday when detectives linked his .22-caliber handgun to the shell casings found on the property and three bullets found in one of the horses, according to the Pensacola News Journal (www.pensacolanewsjournal.com).
   
There’s no indication that Smith had accomplices in his alleged horse massacre.  When questioned, he said that he was rabbit hunting on Desmond Davis’ 113-acre property on the night of the killing. He went home to get a shotgun and a flashlight and returned to the property, but he couldn’t remember anything else about being on the property.
   
Smith said he hid his guns to avoid getting in trouble after several family members brought up the horse killings.  Police officers picked him up after receiving a Crime Stoppers tip.
   
If convicted and given the maximum sentence, Smith could receive 15 years in prison for each case of horse killing, five years for each case of dog shooting, five years for the one count of firearm possession during a felony, and five years each for the two counts of armed trespassing.
   
His bond has been increased from $250,000 to $500,000.