BALTIMORE COUNTY — To trust someone with your pet's body just to get sand or cement back, it's unimaginable.
For the past year, WMAR-2 News followed the story of victims in their effort to make someone answer to the law.
Finally, their prayers were answered.
Pet owners say crematorium owner's sentence is not justice yet
Tuesday, a Towson courthouse packed with victims ready to see Rodney Ward pay for their pain.
“Hearing someone actually lay out their story and what has happened to them and what this has done to them over the past year, was just devastating," Nikki Pickens said.
Pickens and Gail Cook are one of many who used Loving Care Pet Funeral and Cremation to cremate their pets.
The owner, Ward, then gave them sand and cement instead of their furry friends.
Ward pled guilty to one count of felony theft over $25,000 and five counts of malicious destruction of property over $1,000.
This came after the bodies of eight were found on the side of the road.
Dozens more were decomposing in the hearse on Ward's property, and many more are still missing.
“I just think of her lying on the side of the road, just how long was she there before someone found her," Cook said. “We talk about her like she’s still there sometimes and she’s not and it was hard to relay all that.”
Dozens of victims put their pain into words on the stand as Ward sat saying nothing.
“We heard no apology at all, not a letter, not, ‘I wanna apologize to the victims’, nothing.”
Ward was sentenced to 20 years in prison and was also ordered to pay over $12,000 in restitution to victims.
While Pickens is happy with the ruling, it could never quite mean justice.
“No amount of money, no amount of punishment will give us the peace or the justice that we deserve because it should’ve never happened in the first place.”
The only resolution would be to find their missing pets.
But when the judge offered a reduced sentence if Ward revealed where the pets bodies are, people were shocked and disappointed by his response.
“He just there and chose not to acknowledge, not to say anything.”
Ward's wife Yalanda is due in court for her trial on similar charges on May 6.
