A month-long search for a missing dog and stolen vehicle in Colorado ended in heartbreak over the weekend.
Andrew Beckham had adopted his husky, Maverick, while stationed in Spain more than a decade ago.
When the Colorado Air National Guard told him he would be deployed for three months, he wanted to make sure Maverick could stay at home where he felt comfortable instead of being boarded somewhere.
Beckham ultimately chose to hire a sitter from TrustedHousesitters.com.
On the site, he connected with Andrew Jansen, who also goes by Andy. Jansen, who is from the Miami area, reportedly told Beckham he was interested in spending time in Colorado to see if he might want to live there.
At first, everything seemed normal. Beckham was getting messages and photos of Maverick while he was overseas, but about a month into the deployment, the updates suddenly stopped.
Then on April 2, home security footage appeared to show Jansen leaving in Beckham’s Subaru with Maverick inside.
After that, nobody heard from him again, though investigators were later able to track the vehicle leaving the area using Flock camera systems.
The military eventually allowed Beckham to return home early so he could help search for Maverick and his car. Friends, neighbors, and people online all joined in, sharing posts and putting up flyers in hopes of finding the dog safe.
Sadly, the search ended on Saturday after the vehicle was found in Denver.
According to Beckham’s family, Maverick had died while trapped inside the car.
Beckham said Maverick appeared to have gone through a lot inside the vehicle and had multiple visible injuries. He also remembered seeing blood covering his face.
Beckham later shared an emotional message online saying he was devastated by the loss and wanted privacy after learning Maverick had been found dead.
The Aurora Police Department confirmed the Subaru Forester was located on North Logan Street and that Maverick’s body was discovered inside the vehicle.
Police are still trying to find Jansen. Authorities have issued felony warrants accusing him of vehicle theft and general theft, and investigators are asking anyone with information about where he may be to come forward.
Beckham said the cellphone Jansen was using is now offline and that it hasn’t hit cell towersw since April 2.
