BOSTON (WHDH) - A Boston man accused of intentionally hitting and killing a man with his car appeared in court Monday, charged with murder and animal cruelty.
Prosecutors say William Haney, 42, drove onto a pedestrian walkway on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston’s Back Bay, specifically looking for and killing 79-year-old John Axelrod and his dog.
“He stopped a passerby and asked the passerby if he had seen an individual wearing a red jacket with his dog,” said Prosector Ursula Knight. “He used a derogatory term about them, suggesting there was a prior history, when he encountered Mr. Axelrod and his dog.”
Prosecutors said after the crash, Haney stopped at a Dunkin Donuts, pulled the dogs leash from his car’s grill, and threw it away. Detectives reported they found the leash in the trash at the restaurant.
Brookline police said they found the car Haney was driving abandoned.
Axelrod was a passionate art collector who was an honorary advisor at the Museum of Fine Arts. A gallery at the museum was named for him in 2009.
The MFA said it is saddened by the loss, and called Axelrod a generous supporter and passionate advocate for under-represented artists.
Axelrod leaves behind a partner of more than four decades, and many close friends.
“It’s a huge loss. I’m not sure how we’ll spend holidays anymore, special occasions. He’s gonna be missing,” said Mildred Gonzalez, a friend of Axelrod’s. “It’s huge not just for our family, but a lot of Boston who appreciates the arts.”
A doctor evaulated Haney and told the judge he is mentally ill, had a change of medications, and is experiencing hallucinations.
“He was incredibly delusional at the time. He believed that there were people who were intending to harm him. I believe that he thought that Mr. Axelrod was somebody else, it was completely delusional,” said Keith Halpern, Haney’s Defense Attorney. “I’m not aware of any evidence that he knows who Mr. Axelrod was, or had even had contact with him.”
Haney was ordered held without bail and sent to Bridgewater State Hospital for a mental health evaluation.
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