Two McNeal men shot and killed in dispute

McNEAL––In a dispute over a neighbor’s dog, a McNeal man shot and killed the dog and his two neighbors.

Darryl Howard Chenowth, 51, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder. He is being held on a $2 million bond, said Carol Capas, the spokeswoman for the Cochise County Sheriff’s Department.

Using a .22 caliber handgun, Chenoweth shot and killed Thomas Rand, 44, of Bisbee, and Leonardo Rivera, 20, of McNeal, Capas said.

Shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday Chenowth was angry that the neighbor’s dog was in his yard at the 8000 block of Torn Rose Lane. The dog had tried to bite him, so he shot and killed it.

The dispute further escalated with the neighbors when Rand and Rivera told Chenowth that they were going to burn his house, Capas said.

Rand and Rivera went onto Chenowth property, where they assaulted him with a wooden plank, Capas said.

Chenowth then shot and killed them. He called law enforcement immediately after the shooting.

Elfrida medics attended to the two victims.

The Cochise County Sheriff’s Department is continuing the investigation.