CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — Below is an interactive timeline of the history of the investigation into the disappearance of Chapmanville Police K-9 Chase.
The Chapmanville Police Department’s K-9 Chase was reported missing from his handler, Marcus Dudley’s South Charleston home on April 11, 2023. The department says Chase was only with the Chapmanville PD for about a month and is fully trained in narcotics.
At that time, the Chapmanville PD said Chase jumped the fence at his home in the area of 2nd Avenue in South Charleston. When his handler, Officer Marcus Dudley, went to check on him, only his collar and the chain he was attached to were left.
SCPD says they started working on the case at the request of the Chapmanville Police Department on April 12. They determined that Chase did not escape from Dudley’s yard, and he was not stolen from the yard.
In an April 20, 2023 update into their investigation, officers with the SCPD also said statements from Dudley regarding Chase’s disappearance were “inconsistent.” Later that day, the Chapmanville PD confirmed Dudley had been on administrative leave since Chase went missing.
As of April 24, 2023, the Chapmanville PD said Dudley was “no longer employed” by the department.
South Charleston PD is asking the public to continue to search for Chase or contact them with any information they may have about the K-9’s disappearance. “Rockhouse K9,” a professional dog training facility in Chapmanville, is offering a $500 reward for Chase’s return.