Andrea Rosebrock 
It was a shocking and brutal crime against a loved family dog. Buddy, a male German shepherd mix dog was found dead with a rope around it’s neck and dumped on the Colorado National Monument on December 30 2009. He was tied to the back of a pickup truck that belonged to Steven Romero. Then Romero hit the gas. Buddy was dragged for three miles and left for dead. Imagine the suffering this poor animal endured before he died.
Steven Romero was sentenced today to the maximum prison term of three years. Romero was also ordered to pay a $500 fine, and $343.68 in restitution to the owners of Buddy. This makes Romero’s 11th felony conviction.
Eleven felony convictions! How many more before he escalates up the food chain to human beings?
At the sentencing today, the prosecutor stated that two days before Romero killed Buddy, he had threatened to kill two other dogs. He got into a money dispute with
the dog’s owners and told the owner that if she didn’t pay up, he would start by killing her two dogs and then kill her. His threats were laced with profanities. Romero also asked other people to lie and establish an alibi for him after he was arrested for killing Buddy.
If this man isn’t a clear and present danger to society, I don’t know what is. He has no conscience. And his sister is running a close second.
Melissa Lockhart stole Buddy and another dog, Max, from the bed of a pickup owned by Sasha and Joseph Leber. She is charged with being an accessory after the fact to aggravated animal cruelty for her alleged attempt to cover up the dog’s death. Lockhart took the two dogs to her home and there Buddy supposedly killed Lockhart’s cat. She then told her brother to get rid of Buddy.
She’s no better than her brother. She continued to lie to the police; changing her story every time, and was evasive about the details. She even accused the police of harassing her. Back in May, she pled guilty to a federal charge of being an accessory after the fact in Buddy’s death. She faces no more than 18 months in jail.
Lockhart repeatedly violated the terms of her pretrial release. Among her conditions of pretrial release, Lockhart was ordered to complete a substance abuse treatment program. She had several unexplained absences. She also missed seven consecutive meetings with her attorney. In two months there were two warrants for her arrest for ignoring the conditions of her release terms. Melissa Lockhart will be sentenced in September.
These two have no regard for anything moral and decent – thinking only of their own fat asses. I have no hope for their children’s future. Spawn from sub-humans 
always carry on the family legacy.
Three years is not enough for someone with 11 felony convictions.
A stone marker in memory of Buddy is placed at the entrance to the Roice-Hurst Humane Society . The stone, etched with paw prints heading toward a setting sun, was donated and placed in a bed of flowers by Snyder Memorials of Grand Junction. It reads, “In memory of Buddy, and all the animals who have no one to weep for them.”
“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”
what a sick piece if shit! i would do anything to tie him to the back of my car and drag this fat ass and go 75 miles per hr and tell him to run as fast as he could for 5 miles if he wants to live, no doubt he’ll live like buddy…buddy may u rip..
Just let me know if you need any help tying lard ass to the back of your car.
What comes around goes around… I am a strong believer in that… this fat bastard and his stupid dumber than a doorknob sister will get theirs and I hope it is 10 times worse than what poor Buddy got. Hopefully there’s a Buddy or Bubba in prison who likes fat pieces of shit to have their way with if you know what I mean… he will deserve it on a daily basis for the whole time he’s in prison. Rest in Peace Buddy…you are in our prayers!
Would you not like to take a bat to this fat bastards head about 20 times , we don’t need shit like this and his scum bag sister on this planet , poor dog .Let him and his sister die very soon.
I DITTO you both!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let their deaths be SLOW and PAINFUL…
OOO yeah, what Scarlet said. Buddy, u rest, dude, NOBODY can EVER hurt u again…
3 years is DEFINITELY not enough.
Restitution of $343.68!!!!! that breaks my heart.
I started the FB page ” Demand justice for Buddy” on new Years Eve, before Romero was arrested. Originally , our goal to find the killer and make sure he was punished, and to raise awareness about animal abuse in Colorado. It has been exactly 7 months since that night and 268,000 members have joined to voice their opinions.
We printed the petition with 105,000 names on it and presented it to the US Attorney Generals Office. We used recycked paper for the 5,300 pages of names and comments.
We try hard to make sure people know how to make a law and how to change one. Many lives have been affected by this group, and Buddy’s senseless death. The sister group “Tell Em Buddy Sent You” was started for people who wanted to DO something to honor Buddy and celebrate his life as a good dog and guardian for the family and 3 children he loved. His legacy grows as people continue to do good things for shelter animals around the world, and “tell ‘em Buddy sent them”. Thousands of shelter animals have been adopted in Buddy’s honor and it my sincere hope that this will continue for years to come. It is the best way I could think of to honor a very good dog, who death was so shocking to the world. I hope Romero never gets out of prison. He faces up to 48 more years in State prison for illegal gun and drug charges after he finishes his Federal Prison stay.
Thank you for the accurate article about Buddy and the coverage you have supplied in the past. His legacy will live on for many many years to come.
I’m a member of both facebook groups and on your friends list as well. It was the tireless efforts of those campaigning for Buddy that brought him justice, and brought awareness to homeless animals.
Should you ever catalog, in detail, some of the good works you-all have done in memory of Buddy, I would have no problem doing a yearly article highlighting those who were “sent by Buddy”. Make sure you have pics!
Thanks Willie.
There are pics on the “Tell ‘Em Buddy Sent You ” page of 3 legged dogs named Buddy, a blind cat and many shelter dogs rescued in Buddy’s honor.
I will have to take some time and make a “scrap book” of some of the stories and animals that Buddy’s members made possible. Sometimes I feel it may be the best thing I have ever done, with the exception of raising my 2 daughters.
If and when I get it into some kind of order I will be happy to let you write about it and raise awareness one more notch. The Denver Post is going to do something like that in the fall. I have volunteered at my local county shelter since January. They call me “Buddy” there. My own dog, Jasmine, was a shelter dog until 3 weeks ago. Now she owns my home and lets me live here.
There is legislation in several states as a result of “Buddy” awareness.
We helped to pass the Adopt A Shelter Pet Law a month ago in Co. Every license plate gives $30 directly to the shelters for spay/neuter and special needs.
Also in Colorado, we helped provide needed publicity to amend the domestic violence law to include companion animals.
Thank you, Andrea . You got it right , so many did not. I will be happy to help you do a follow up and I will try to document the Buddy stories for all to see. Some people actually started doing rescue after joining the group. It has changed many lives.I will ask for their stories.
It is “For Buddy” .
Jeanie, my wee puppy mill survivor, was adopted in Buddy’s name. she, along with 4 other dogs~all rescues~n 7 cats “rule” my home n they let me n my partner live here….when Jeanie got here there were 8 cats. Caveman’s crossed the Bridge 3 months ago….Buddy was brutally murdered 14 days after Jeanie was “sprung” from a Kentucky puppy mill. i adopted her on Feb 9, ‘10. i told them i was adopting in Buddy’s name.
Buddy, u n u’r mama n daddy r always in my prayers. it’s bad enough that we lose our babies 2 natural causes~we know how we feel…but losing a pet the way Buddy was taken……….i can only imagine…
What oh What is wrong with the court system. WHAT??? This is beyond our usual issue of slap on the wrist for animal abuse cases. Not only was his crime horrendous and brutal, but as Andrea and all have point out…11 FELONY CONVICTIONS….too bad this state does not have the 3 STRIKES law. First and foremost, if they did Buddy would still be alive and not have had to suffer at the hands of this monster. Even better, this sub species pond scum piece of slime would be sitting FOREVER in some cell. As dragging him ourselves, over hugely rocky dirt roads is OUT, lets hope and keep fingers crossed that he placed in a cell block that is full of dog loving “Bubbas” who also are less than tolerant of other “groups”. Same goes for his low life sister, perhaps she is related to Lohan and feels she does not have to show up for court appointed issues. Pond Scum is always pond scum, and it leaves a forever stain where ever it grows.
Blessings to Snyder Memorials for their wonderful marker. May it always serve as a remembrance and a reminder, not only for Buddy, but to all of us to be Witness of the Suffering and to not keep silent.
At least this pos got the maximum sentence, of course that doesn’t seem to be enough, in my opinion, and the fines were ridiculously too low (can’t put a price on a family member). Until there is stiffer, more severe punishment for animal abusers/torturers, the crimes will continue.
Nancy, we are in agreement about everything in your letter. Except, as you might remember, there is a death penalty in place for most states for convicted murderers. I can’t see that it’s slowed down the murder rate.
Another case for birth control. If you don’t care enough about your child to love him and teach him right from wrong, he will likely turn out like all the other Romeros.
Agree w/comments from Judgment, Terry & Scarlet above. Also know that what Peggy Juliann says is right, that unfortunately we can’t drag that fat ugly POS behind our car, so my only hope is that Peggy Juliann is right and he gets what’s coming to him from his prison “friends”.
RIP, Buddy, I can’t begin to imagine what went through your mind as you were being dragged through the snow that dreadful night but I do know that no one will ever hurt you again.
Rest in peace sweet Buddy. You did nothing wrong and did not deserve what happened to you. May your family receive strength and love from God. Romero and Lockhart should have ropes put around their necks, and then be dragged behind a vehicle until they die. If that doesn’t work, I can get a gas can and a match.
Jail justice is sometimes beautiful. Prisoners residing there have a justice all their own. Most do not tolerate child or animal abuse. Pass the word to the jail inmates about what this scumbag did and try to get word back to all of us how it goes.
Reading stories like these jusr deepens my hate for people who hurt animals! I would pay big bucks to see evil mother @#$%#$@ like that be done the EXACT same way! They don’t deserve anything less than that! Maybe every sick bastard and or bitch rot in hell for putting such sweet innocent animals that love UNCONDITIONALLY burn in hell!
I LOATHE and DETEST this man and his sister as much as anyone else. Because they are contemptible human beings. But to write about their children, “spawn from sub-humans always carry on the family legacy,” does nothing to further the cause of bringing animal abusers to justice. Doesn’t matter if you may be correct- the statement is over-the-top and irrelevant. Please just stick to facts. That is ALL that is needed.
I don’t understand our system. What will he do next? Children and woman? He has not been punished enough. I would like to drag him behind my car.
Maybe the law needs to be changed—punish each person the same way they punish the animal then put them in jail for many years if they survive! I am tired of these poor animals being abused and killed!
I wish the us would pass a law out that says “once a year u can brutially beat the shit or even kill any criminal you want and they or their fam membr cant sue you” oh man i would go after this man real fast. Pos , makes me so sick to know someone did this to an inocent animal!
This asshole is going to need some serious Preparation H….REAL criminals have thier own ‘justice’ in prison. They HATE child abusers and animal abusers as well! They have FAMILIES with kids and pets in them on the outside and they hate it when this shit happens. He will certainly be some Don’s prison bitch for sure! As fat as he is, he’ll be prime pickens! May he rot in hell!!
These two POS need to be exterminated from our society. That is the least we can do with this kind of scum. Poor Buddy, RIP. There are so many animals stories out there and they all make me sick. What is with our laws? We need to start changing our laws in this country and prosecute all the POS to the fullest and 3 years, that is a cake walk. Life or extermination would be a better choice.
We all know abut “KARMA”. These two have it coming and will surely get it delivered, one way or another.
Poor Buddy. So undeserving. He is save now though, and playing in those beautiful green, flowered fields with all the other furbaby’s we have up there. I love the memorial. It is absolutely beautiful!!!
I really believe that evil comes back to evil so hopefully the demons of HELL will reclaim two of their own! The innocent animals are in Heaven with those who love them.
There are no words to describe this piece of garbage. Maybe his “karma”, is having to look like he does! Hopefully, he will find true justice @ the hands of an inmate, who loved a dog. The remark about children, does have some merit… I would guess, the”DNA” that produced romero and sis, helpped promote this behavior…best guess…. mommy and/or daddy, had no respect for animals, and considered them disposable.Someone better get to the children of these cretins, before other animals or humans are sacrificed. Buddy, your pain on this planet is over…fat boy… yours has just begun!
I don’t understand how the dogs were stolen out of the back of a pickup truck?
The family was eating while the dogs waited in the truck. This is a small town and not unusual for dogs to be in the back of a pick up truck. While the family ate, Romeos sister, Melissa Lockhart, stole Buddy and another dog. She gave one away to a friend and told her brother that night to ” Get rid of the dog ( Buddy) “. The Leber family did get their other dog back the next day.
Lockhart is in jail now for parole violations and will be sentenced in September for lying to federal investigators and interfering with the investigation. She has plead guilty but there was no pleas bargain. Lockhart appears in Judge Brimmer’s courtroom in Denver on Sept 17th. She can get 18 months in Federal Prison and a large fine for those charges. Then she faces State charges for stealing Buddy and the other dog from the back of the truck. Animals are “property” and it is the same as if she stole a spare tire. This became Federal when Romero killed Buddy in a National Park.
They did not know the Leber family and had no reason to steal these dogs other than for kicks. They are both very sick people and a danger to society. Lockhart has 3 kids that should be put into foster homes if they are to have any chance of a “normal” life. Romero had 10 felony charges pending open when he was arrested . Buddy made #11. Lockhart had already served 3 years in a New Mexico prison before moving to Colorado.
Never leave your pets unsupervised…people are just no damm good.
Thank God this is all over, though 3 yrs is not nearly enough for the torture that Buddy went through!!!!!!! I want to say a huge thanks to everyone that cared enough to follow-up and offer their support for beautiful Buddy. God Bless you all.
RIP now Buddy, you have left a space in all our hearts xx
Light a candle, and curse the darkness of humans like Romero. Buddy is with my Geneva… Geneva has guided him, to a wondrous place…rest in peace, sweet innocent angels…
What a pity that, in cases like those of that walking, talking piece of manure called Steven Romero, we can’t have ex post facto laws by which we could retroactively and radically increase the legal penalty for acts like those he committed against Buddy so that the penalty truly reflects and punishes the crime. Left to me, we, as a society, would lawfully be able to drag subhumans like Romero straight from the courtroom and summarily torture and execute them, with scientific precision, *exactly* as they did to the innocent pets they killed.
Three years and a total of $843.68 out of this creep’s pocket is hardly any real penalty. Romero should be placed in lifelong unpaid servitude to Buddy’s people and to all of us. Buddy and his life were and are worth infinitely more than anything we could ever get out of the waste of space and oxygen known as Romero.
Things like Romero, once convicted, should be permanently removed from any and all protections of the law and made to suffer daily for life. By acting as they do against innocent pets and the people who love them, they should be made to forfeit any legal or other human rights, since they have forfeited their membership in the human race.
While I’d neither do nor condone it, if someone were to make a nice “bride” of Romero in prison with a broomstick or even found some creative use for rope and a truck from the prison supply yard along with a nice, rough road, I, for one, wpuld not shed any tears.
Let’s just make sure that once Romero, against all true justice, is released, that it (I use that pronoun very deliberately) is never allowed to change its name nor, within the law, ever live down what it did. Romero’s actions were and are supremely unforgivable and we must do all we lawfully can to make sure Romero suffers for the rest of its sorry life.
See you in hell, Stevie Boy.
Next up, Melissa Lockhart.
WOW…..u sure have a way with words….VERY nicely put, thank u
WOW SCOTT!!!! What fabulous words….and so right on as well. No one could have said it better. I still can not imagine the fear, confusion, and pain that poor Buddy went through on that horrible day. I despise these two inhuman’s that do not deserve to see the light of day, ever again! I find it difficult to believe this POS basically got away with murder after so many “felony” convictions already on his platter. Something is seriously wrong with this! She (his sister), also got away basically free of any punishment, whereas poor Buddy suffered and died at the hands of these two miserable things that do not belong in society. Terrifying to think their are children walking among us with their genes….terrifying! I do hope they can be taken away and maybe taught the compassion, tenderness and kindness all animals so rightly deserve. Bye bye Buddy. I know you are playing in Heaven with all our other adored four leggers. RIP sweet boy.
Thanks again Scott for your wonderful words.
I still cry, when I think of Buddy’s last hours.. Thank you willie and everyone else, who would not let this crime, just fade into memory. The only way to stop the evil of scum like Romero and Lockhart, is to publicize and make noise. Gets legislators to listen, sign petitions against animal abuse and their abusers. Unfortunately, animals are “just property”, in most states, and punishment is less for torturing a beloved pet, than stealing a car! Living in the south, I receive stories of dogs, set on fire, noses cut off, and firecrackers, inserted in body openings, and the list goes on. It must be continually impressed on authorities, than “humans”, capable of these atrocities, will do harm to people… watching the suffering of an animal, is indicative of a sociopath(think mike vick), and sociopaths do not change… We need to have a petition to sign, before lockhart goes before a judge…Randall Lockwood, is a psychologist, who works with animal groups, in the prosecution of animal abusers.. His findings, would be good to keep on file, to present to DA’s and lawmakers. Buddy’s pain is over, but everyday, more animals suffer, because…”it is just a dog.”
genevalove,
Are you stating or implying that pet and other animal abuse is more common in the Southern United States than elsewhere in the U.S.? I would not be surprised if this is indeed so, but if it is so, why do you think this is? The South, sadly (but certainly *not* all its people!), has long had a perverse tendency to revel in arrogant backwardness, including deliberate ignorance, anti-intellectualism, and violence. As an American, I must say that I am often ashamed of this part of our country and sometimes wonder if it would have been ultimately better to let it secede from the Union in the 19th century.
The problem with Reconstruction, as is widely known, was not that it was too harsh on the Old South, but that it was far from harsh enough. The South–like America as a whole, especially when it comes to our laws and attitudes regarding violence and other bad treatment of pets–could use a good, stiff dose of forced reconstruction.
Thanks for the comments Steve,Genevalove,Dru, Linda,Jesse, Rottrus, and everyone else.
It is gratifying to see that Buddy continues to touch people and hopefully move them to action.
We have to make the animal rights laws and welfare laws stronger now so that they are in place as soon as possible. That is one of Buddy’s legacy’s. Not retroactively, but now. The SE U.S. has some of the weakest AR laws because all of
farming that traditionally has been a way of life here. The Dept. Of Agriculture is in charge of the animal laws in our states. That dept.is very,very powerful in the south. Farm animals are just property, as are our companion animals in most states. The hunters and farmers are very strong in the Dept of Ag, along with the NRA. The Pork Lobby actually fought the puppy mill bill in N.C. last month, leading to it’s defeat. The PORK lobby opposes any law that HSUS supports – for no reason other than to be contrary. Ask them why they want more puppy mills???!!!
It is only recently that some states have started passing laws for companion animals. Colorado just passed a law for companion animals, adding them to the laws for “Domestic Abuse and violence’. It is a huge step !!
Ask your lawmakers about doing that in your state. We have to make this happen. Please don’t wait for someone else to do it for you. Your local lawmakers are the key. They live near you, go to your church and their kids go to school with yours. Tell them how you feel. Be their friend. Help good people get elected. Support them.
For those of you who are hoping for prison justice, I can assure you that it is happening. Romero has asked to be put in isolation 3 times already and the judge refused to do anything before he was officially sentenced. He said he was having a very hard time and said the inmates all hate him. He doesn’t “feel safe” – isn’t that too bad? Prisoners hate animal abusers and child molesters. Romero,and his sister, are both finding that out now. She is in Federal Lockup now waiting for her trial on Sept. 17th.
When Steven Romero gets out of the Federal Prison in 3 years, he will go directly to a state prison to serve 40+ years for guns and drug charges that he still has to answer for to the state. This man will not get out of jail until he is very old, if ever. I am hoping for never. I hope this makes some of you feel a little better. I know I do.
Thank you so much for caring !! I hope this will be the reason that you got involved in your state to make things better for our companion animals.
It is up to us. Thank you all very much !
BUMMER that he’s only getting 3 years for the kidnap & MURDER of this beautiful boy! SAD that he’ll get 40 years for guns n drugs instead of the other way around!!!! oh well……at least, he’s gonna b put away for a long period of time. WE ALL know the way that sentence SHOULD read………..SOMEWHERE along the line…somebody is gonna “get him”, right? when they find out who he is n what he did……..
‘course i’m still PISSED OFF about the “$343.68 in restitution”!!! n this covers…. WHAT?!!!! ok, dru…u need 2 chill. 2 early in the morning 2 b gettin’ so bloody emotional….go n mow the lawn….LOL, my front yard looks like a jungle. the side n back yards….OOOOEEEE!!! when i go out there i swear i’ve been transported 1 the Amazon jungle.