The Rebecca Halbach animal cruelty case ended with a three-year New Jersey prison sentence handed down on January 3, 2025, after police found more than 30 dead dogs, malnourished surviving animals, and a 9-year-old boy living inside her Evesham Township home in August 2023.1Change.org. Convicted Animal Killer Child Abuser Rebecca Halbach Must Be Denied Early Parole Halbach and her partner, Brandon Leconey, faced animal cruelty and child endangerment charges, and were later charged again with theft by deception and computer crimes tied to a scheme in which Halbach posed as an animal rescue worker to collect money and dogs.
What Police Found Inside the Evesham Home
On August 28, 2023, Evesham Township officers executed a search warrant at a home on the 600 block of East Main Street in Marlton. More than 30 dead dogs were scattered throughout the residence in various stages of decay, some still inside cages next to living animals. Fourteen dogs were found alive, along with cats and rabbits. In the backyard, investigators uncovered roughly 70 more dogs buried in holes covered by a tarp. All told, police estimated as many as 100 dogs had died at the property over time, and believed the animals had died from malnourishment.2NBC Philadelphia. Police Charge Man and Woman After Finding Dozens of Dead Dogs at NJ Home
Conditions were so hazardous that officers opened doors and windows to ventilate the house and bring gas levels down before anyone could safely go inside.3WHYY. Child Found in Evesham New Jersey Home With Dozens of Dead Dogs A 9-year-old boy was found living in the home. Evesham Police Chief Walt Miller said the child appeared physically healthy but called the situation a “major cause for concern,” noting the boy had been sleeping and eating in the home amid the dead and dying animals.2NBC Philadelphia. Police Charge Man and Woman After Finding Dozens of Dead Dogs at NJ Home He was placed in the care of the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency.
How the Case Came to Light
The search warrant grew out of a tip from Tender Mercies Pet Organization, a North Carolina rescue run by Janice Thompson out of Macclesfield. Tender Mercies had placed foster dogs with Halbach, including animals named Brandy, Roxy, and Shadow, and had sent funds for their care. Thompson grew suspicious when Halbach refused to send full-body photos of the dogs, and at one point tried to pass off a different dog as one of the fosters. “I sent her back a text. I said that is not Shadow,” Thompson told reporters.4NJ101.5. Dozens of Dead and Dying Dogs in Cages, Child Removed From NJ Home
Thompson gave Halbach a weekend deadline to send photos or return the dogs. When a Tender Mercies staff member arrived at the Evesham home and saw the animals’ condition, they called police. The organization later paid $1,600 for veterinary exams of Brandy and Roxy and took at least two of the rescued dogs back into its custody.56ABC. NJ Dead Dogs Found, Child Living in Home With Animal Abuse Cruelty
The Fraud Scheme
On October 4, 2023, roughly five weeks after the initial arrests, police brought a second wave of charges. According to investigators, Halbach had posed as an employee or volunteer of an animal rescue organization to take in animals and solicit money for their care. She was neither an employee nor a volunteer. Chief Miller said Halbach received more than $7,000 through the scheme, and detectives said they were still investigating additional computer and electronic crimes with further charges anticipated.6CBS News Philadelphia. Evesham Township Marlton Animal Cruelty Computer Crimes Conspiracy
Charges Against Halbach and Leconey
After the August 2023 search, Halbach, then 35, and Leconey, then 32, were each charged with endangering the welfare of a child and animal cruelty. Leconey was lodged in the Burlington County Jail. Halbach was hospitalized for an unrelated medical condition and was to be jailed once cleared.2NBC Philadelphia. Police Charge Man and Woman After Finding Dozens of Dead Dogs at NJ Home
In the October filings, Halbach was charged with theft by deception and computer crimes. Leconey was charged with conspiracy to commit theft by deception and conspiracy to commit computer crimes. Both were being held at the Burlington County Jail as of October 2023.7Courier-Post. Rebecca Halbach Brandon Leconey Evesham Animal Abuse Theft
Sentence and Parole Petition
Halbach was sentenced on January 3, 2025, to three years in prison. A petition later filed with the New Jersey State Parole Board urged the board to deny any early or administrative release and to require her to serve the full sentence. The petition, which had gathered more than 3,000 signatures, described the case as a “house of horrors” and argued that the severity of the offenses warranted the full term.1Change.org. Convicted Animal Killer Child Abuser Rebecca Halbach Must Be Denied Early Parole The research file does not indicate a separate sentence for Leconey.
The Surviving Animals
Nine of the 14 dogs found alive were taken to Mount Laurel Animal Hospital. Several were in extremely poor health, and one had to be euthanized. The rest were expected to move to animal shelters once they recovered. The cats and rabbits found in the home were also taken to shelters.8News 12 New Jersey. 9-Year-Old Found Burlington County NJ Home With Over 30 Dead Dogs