A Two Rivers woman is being charged with fourth-degree weapons misconduct on suspicion of shooting her neighbor’s horses, District Attorney Mike Gray said.

Jamie Rogers, 47, faces as much as a year in jail if convicted. Rogers said she plans to dispute the charge, which is a misdemeanor.

The incident last month left a 4-year-old American Quarter Horse named Phoenix dead. His stable mate, a 5-year-old mare named Sierra, suffered graze wounds.

The animals, owned by Heather Rogers, apparently got loose and entered Jamie Rogers’ property early on Oct. 20, according to authorities.

The women are feuding neighbors. They are not related, and both own horses.

Jamie Rogers has said she fired her pistol to scare away the horses because they had previously attacked her horses.

Heather Rogers knew something was amiss after hearing her dog yard erupt into barking. She went outside to investigate, heard gunshots from the direction of Jamie Rogers’ property and saw the horses running toward her, she said.

Heather Rogers said Jamie Rogers then called her, shouting and complaining about the loose horses.

After seeing no wounds, Rogers returned the horses to their corral and went back to bed.

The next morning, Rogers saw that Phoenix was dead and Sierra was wounded.

Gray said that Jamie Rogers is being charged for allegedly discharging a firearm with reckless disregard to the risk of damaging property or injuring a person.

“This lady needs not to be out there shooting her weapon off toward a public causeway at an angle in which a kid or an adult could be hit,” the district attorney said.

Jamie Rogers said the previous attack on her horses by Heather Rogers’ horses caused bloody injuries.

“I would never intentionally shoot anybody’s horse.” she said. “I was trying to get them out of my yard. I was absolutely protecting my horses.”

Heather Rogers, who is president of the Two Rivers Dog Mushers Association, said she wants justice for her dead horse. Rogers had purchased both horses in July for $6,000.

“I’ve been heartsick, you know?” she said. “I’m just to the point where I can talk about it without breaking down.”

The horse Sierra is doing better. Heather Rogers had stabled the horse elsewhere after the shooting and plans to bring the animal home soon.

Update 2/28/09:  Prosecutors in Fairbanks have filed a formal charge against Jamie Rogers accused of shooting and killing her neighbor's horse.

Two Rivers is a loose-knit community of about 600 people spread out along Miles 13 to 25 Chena Hot Springs Road northeast of Fairbanks.

Rogers in October told Alaska State Troopers that she woke to the sound of horses running along a nearby trail.

Horses owned by neighbor, Heather Rogers, who is no relation to her, previously had been in the area and kicked and bit her horses, Jamie Rogers said.

Jamie Rogers told troopers she was afraid for the lives of her animals.  She acknowledged trying to scare the loose horses by shooting several rounds from a handgun.

District Attorney Mike Gray said in November that he would pursue charges against Jamie Rogers. Jamie Rogers said she would fight a charge.

Reference:

Anchorage Daily News

Fairbanks Daily News Miner