Dani Green initially told investigators her German Shepherd bit the neck of her ex-husband, killing him. But detectives found his nude body stuffed in a tool box, riddled with 10 bullets.
It may be one of the most violent and bizarre scenarios of "the dog ate my homework."
In 2014, Dani Green told Indiana investigators that her German Shepherd, Jazzy, bit her ex-husband in the neck and she had no idea where Ray Green had gone after that.
Ray Green's mother had called authorities to request a welfare check on her son, whom she hadn't been able to reach.
When detectives arrived at the farm where Dani lived with Ray, who were divorced but continued to share a home, Dani told them they were free to search the area, with the exception of a padlocked metal box, which emitted a strange smell and was covered with flies, authorities said at the time.
They returned with a warrant for the box, and inside was Ray's decomposing, nude body. An autopsy would later determine he had been shot 10 times, five times in the head and five times in the torso.
The strange saga of Ray's murder is examined by "48 Hours" in Saturday's installment of "The Killing of Cowboy Ray Green," airing at 10 p.m.
Dani Green was convicted of murder in 2015 and sentenced to 60 years in prison. "This is a woman who is very, very calculating," Dearborn-Ohio County Prosecutor Aaron Negangard said at the time. Dani was 43. Her ex-husband was 62.
Under questioning after her arrest, Dani said she had killed Ray in self-defense after he lunged at her, investigators said. She claimed he had abused her for years.
But detectives said in court that Dani had killed her ex-husband as he lay sleeping in bed. "This lady committed cold-blooded murder, shot him 10 times, put him in a box and then left him there to rot," Negangard said.
The couple had an unusual hobby. Ray was a renowned horse breeder and Dani was an exceptional rider. Together, they participated in Wild West recreations that included period costumes and weapons.
"Cowboy Action Shooting is a shooting discipline based on the guns of the Old West ... the days of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. We shoot guns, original or replicas. We dress for the most part in period-accurate clothing. It's full competition, shooting still targets with lead bullets," Dawn Owen, a shooting event organizer who knew the couple, told CBS News.
Detectives determined that Ray had been shot with same type of low-velocity bullets used in the period competitions.
Jazzy, the family's dog, was never found.
RELATED STORIES
