Loyal dog helped solve owner's grisly murder as cousin is jailed for life

A loyal dog that refused to leave his dead owner's side helped solve her murder by allowing detectives to identify her body, prosecutors said.

Mandy Rose Reynolds, 26, was shot before her body was “burned beyond recognition” in a field fire in Robinson, Texas. Police found her on April 5, 2023, the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office said in a release.

Her cousin Derek Daigneault, 29, of Wichita, Kansas, was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for her murder after an investigation that spanned two states, the DA's office said.

And one of the keys to identifying her was her white-haired labradoodle, Titan.

Police found Titan near her body, barking "frantically." He refused to leave the area and wouldn't allow police to capture him, prosecutors said.

The next morning, the body was removed, but a passerby found Titan sitting at the same spot. The good Samaritan called Robinson Animal Control, which found that Titan was microchipped and belonged to Reynolds.

“The keys to this case were a heroic and loyal dog named Titan and extraordinary cooperation between law enforcement agencies in multiple jurisdictions and states. That combination has delivered justice for Mandy and safety from a violent and dangerous criminal,” Assistant District Attorneys Ryan Calvert and Alyssa Killin said in a statement.

Robinson police then learned that Reynolds lived in San Marcos, Texas. San Marcos police were contacted and went to her home but found it empty, with all her possessions removed and her black Honda Accord missing, the news release said.

A license plate database revealed that the car was somewhere in Wichita.

Wichita police were alerted, and on April 8, 2023, they spotted her vehicle and tried to pull it over.

Daigneault was behind the wheel, and the stop attempt ended in a chase that lasted nearly 30 minutes and reached speeds of over 100 mph.

The Accord ultimately crashed into another vehicle, and Daigneault ran away into a nearby grocery store, where “he hid on a shelf behind canned goods,” the DA's office said.

Police found a .380 handgun in the driver’s seat floorboard when they searched Reynolds’ car in Wichita.

Meanwhile, back in Robinson, police determined that the body had been burned in a large plastic storage container, and they found a fired .380 shell casing that was burned inside the container, the release said.

Surveillance video from a Walmart in San Marcos showed Daigneault buying a large plastic storage container identical to the one Reynolds’ boy was burned in, a shovel and a gas can on the morning of April 4, 2023. Video also showed him leaving the store in Reynolds’ car and Titan sticking his head out the window.

The medical examiner eventually formally identified the body as Reynolds’ through dental records. It was determined she died from a gunshot wound to the head, and a .380 bullet was recovered from her remains.

The Texas Department of Public Safety crime lab confirmed the bullet found in her body and the shell casing found by Robinson police were both fired by the handgun in Daigneault's possession, the DA's office said.

Jason P. Darling, an attorney for Daigneault, said Tuesday: “Derek is obviously disappointed in the verdict and sentence. While we appreciate the jury’s work and effort in this case, Derek intends to appeal the verdict and has already filed his notice of appeal.”

As for Titan, the pup was adopted by Reynolds' best friend days after Reynolds died. Calvert told NBC News on Tuesday, "He is doing great!"

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com