It was a normal summer Saturday on the street where the Simpson family lives. Locals were on their way to the weekend farmers market in the town square, and Blue, the Simpsons’ dog, had stopped a few doors down to visit Arlene Gertsch, a neighbor.
Gertsch said the quiet morning was shattered around 9 a.m. when 72-year-old Rodrek K. Storms, who lives on the same street, crossed the street toward Blue, a Swiss mountain dog.
“He only barked once,” she said. “And I said, ‘Blue, stay there, just stay there.’ And the guy came into the yard, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, dragged him out to my pumpkins, took him to the bike path behind my husband’s truck and shot him in the head.”
She said it was not clear what prompted Storms to kill Blue that morning.
Aaron and Aimee Simpson, Blue’s owners, were out of town when their dog was killed. Aaron said it was perfectly normal for Blue to walk to the Gertschs’ nearby home.
“Blue considered this whole area his family,” he said.
He said the 8-year-old dog was gentle and sociable and was well-liked in the community – with one notable exception.
“Everyone has dogs, everyone just helps out – that’s just part of living in a smaller community,” he said. “None of it makes sense.”
Storms had called animal control several times about Blue. Court records show at least three incidents in which the family was reported for a loose dog.
In court documents released Tuesday afternoon, Storms told Wasatch County officials that he planned to report Blue to animal control again on the day of the shooting. He said the dog had been harassing pedestrians that morning. Storms claimed he reached for his phone to take photos when Blue turned toward him and “barked and signaled an attack.” Then, he said, he reached for his handgun and fired a single shot that killed Blue.
The deputy said he saw no evidence that Blue was dragged through Gertsch’s pumpkin patch, although he did find paw prints. He found no blood on the man’s clothing or gun. He also reported no evidence that the dog was shot at point blank range. But the evidence also did not support Storms’ story that Blue was aggressive toward him and other pedestrians.
Aaron Simpson said Storms had harbored an “obsessive” grudge against Blue for years and the family did not know why. He said Blue was not perfect, but he was not aggressive.
Gertsch described Blue as a “sweetheart” and a “gentle giant.” She said Blue brought a cat with a broken leg to her doorstep a few years ago, nursed it back to health and adopted it. She said even the cat was shaken when Blue was killed.
“The cat came out, saw what had happened and stayed there until we covered Blue up, and then she just lay with him until they took him away,” she said.
The Simpsons said they and their five children were devastated to lose their pet.
Aimee Simpson said family, friends and strangers expressed their support in the days that followed, with neighbors decorating the family’s fence in Blue’s honor.
“Last night, some kids came up and down the street tying blue ribbons,” she said. “I was shocked at the amount of people who reached out or did something, and I’m grateful for that.”
Storms was charged Tuesday afternoon with aggravated cruelty to animals and possession of a deadly weapon with intent to assault, both of which are Class A misdemeanors punishable by up to one year in prison and fines.
Storms was also charged with animal cruelty two years ago when a Midway resident claimed he pepper-sprayed her German Shepherd. The charge was stayed for 12 months and then dropped.
No further information was available from the sheriff’s office Tuesday afternoon.
