It was an ordinary summer Saturday on the street where the Simpson family lives. Locals were making their way to the town square for the weekend farmers’ market, and the Simpsons’ dog, Blue, had wandered a couple of doors over to visit Arlene Gertsch, a neighbor.
Gertsch said the quiet morning was shattered around 9 a.m. when Rodrek K. Storms, 72, who lives on the street, came across the road toward Blue, a Swiss mountain dog.
“He just barked once,” she said. “And I said, ‘Blue, stay there, just stay there.’ And the guy came in the yard, grabbed him by the nape of the neck, took him out by my pumpkins, took him into the bike lane behind my husband’s truck and shot him in the head.”
She said it’s not clear what led 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 typical for Blue to head to the nearby Gertsch home.
“Blue considered this whole corner his family,” he said.
He said the 8-year-old dog was sweet-tempered and sociable, beloved by the community – with one notable exception.
“Everybody has dogs, everybody just helps out – that’s just part of being in a smaller community,” he said. “Nothing about this makes sense.”
Storms had called animal control numerous times about Blue. Court records show at least three incidents when the family was cited for a dog running at large.
In court documents released Tuesday afternoon, Storms told Wasatch County deputies he intended to report Blue to animal control again the day of the shooting. He said that morning, the dog was bothering pedestrians. Storms claimed he reached for his phone to take photos when Blue turned toward him, “barking and signaling attack.” Then, he said, he grabbed his pistol and fired a single shot, killing Blue.
The deputy stated he saw no evidence that Blue had been dragged through the Gertsch pumpkin patch, although he did find pawprints. 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 neither did the evidence support Storms’ story about Blue being aggressive toward him and other pedestrians.
Aaron Simpson said Storms had held an “obsessive” grudge against Blue for years, and the family did not know why. He said Blue wasn’t perfect, but he wasn’t aggressive.
Gertsch described Blue as a “sweetheart” and a “gentle giant.” She said Blue carried a cat with a broken leg to her doorstep a few years ago which she nursed back to health and adopted. She said even the cat was upset when Blue was killed.
“The cat came out, saw what had happened, and stood there until we got Blue covered, and then she just laid with him until they took him away,” she said.
The Simpsons said they and their five children are devastated to lose their family pet.
Aimee Simpson said family, friends and strangers have offered an outpouring of support in the days since. Neighbors decorated the family’s fence in Blue’s honor.
“Last night, there were some kids that came up and down the road and tied blue ribbons,” she said. “I’ve been shocked at the amount of people that have reached out or done something, and for that, I’m grateful.”
Storms was charged Tuesday afternoon with aggravated cruelty to an animal and possession of a deadly weapon with intent to assault. Both counts are class A misdemeanors, punishable by up to one year in jail and fines.
Storms was also charged with animal cruelty two years ago, when a Midway resident claimed he pepper-sprayed their German Shepherd. The charge was held in abeyance for 12 months, then dismissed.
No additional information from the sheriff’s office was available Tuesday afternoon.
Storms is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 25.
