Last week, the story of Joshua Horner and Lucy the black Labrador who got him out of jail quickly spread from Oregon around the world. Give credit to the Oregon Innocence Project and the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office for pursuing the truth. No district attorney should let pride stand in the way of justice.

In 2017, Horner, who lived near Redmond, was convicted of sexually abusing a minor teenager. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison. The alleged victim provided one of the key pieces of evidence at trial, saying that Horner had shot and killed her dog, Lucy, as a threat to keep her silent.

The Oregon Innocence Project investigated and found some problems with the evidence, not least that Horner insisted the dog had not been harmed. The group brought its findings to Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel.

Hummel’s staff worked with the Oregon Innocence Project to follow a chain of custody and veterinarian visits. They found Lucy alive and well in Gearhart. In light of that discovery and the alleged victim’s refusal to speak to his office about it, Hummel chose not to pursue a new trial. Horner is free.

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