Nevada man who tortured, killed dogs denied early release

RENO, Nev. (AP) — A Nevada man who has served less than a third of his maximum 28-year prison sentence for killing and torturing dogs has been denied early release.

The state parole board announced Monday it had denied Jason Brown’s request in April for early release after authorities determined he’d been misclassified as a violent offender.

Brown pleaded no contest in 2015 to killing and dismembering seven dogs he got off Craigslist in the Reno area.

Authorities told the board that Brown still presented a risk to the community., while Brown said prison gave him “a place to heal” and he had worked to rehabilitate himself.

The board received more than 2,000 comments opposing his release, the state Department of Public Safety.

Brown was arrested in 2014 after police found four dog heads inside a mini-refrigerator at his Reno motel room. He said he couldn’t remember anything because he’d been using drugs.

Corrections officials originally said he wouldn’t be eligible for parole until 2025, but confirmed in March that was incorrect because Nevada crimes can only be designated as violent if the victim is human.

Reclassifying Brown s a non-violent offender made him eligible for earlier consideration based on good behavior and other credits.