Nash County community mourns K-9 involved in memorable searches
AND THE WRAL APP ON YOUR TV
OR STREAMING DEVICE.
SHE WAS STRIKING TO LOOK AT
FIERCE AND LOYAL THIS NEST
COUNTY K 9 IS BEING REMEMBERED
FOR YEARS OF FAITHFUL SERVICE.
THIS IS ORCA. SHE DIED LAST
MONTH. SHE LEAVES BEHIND A
LEGACY IN NORTH CAROLINA.
HAVING WORKED ON SEVERAL
HIGH-PROFILE CASES. THEY
INCLUDE 3 YEAR-OLD MARIAH WOODS
WHOSE BODY WAS FOUND IN 2017.
ABBIE PATTERSON, WHO WENT
MISSING IN 2017, STILL HASN'T
BEEN FOUND.
>> 13 YEAR-OLD HANIA AGUILAR
WHO WAS KIDNAPPED AND MURDERED
IN 2018 AND HELPED FIND THE
BODIES OF 2 CHILDREN IN JOHNSON
COUNTY, FLOOD WATERS IN 2020
WRAL'S. HEIDI KIRK SHOWS US
THE LEGACY SHE LEAVES BEHIND
>> THE BOND BETWEEN A CANINE
AND THEIR HANDLER. IT'S HARD TO
PUT INTO WORDS. IT'S THE
RELATIONSHIP THAT NASH COUNTY
SHERIFF'S DEPUTY JACK THORPE
HAS WITH ALL HIS DOGS. BUT ONE
STANDS OUT ORCA. SHE WAS MY
HEART DOG. LIKE OF ALL THE DOGS
I'VE EVER WORKED OR EVER HAD IN
MY LIFE. SHE WAS MY FAVORITE.
NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BOND
THEY SHARED, BUT ALSO FOR THE
WORK THEY DID TO ME. SHE WAS A
VERY GOOD HUMAN REMAINS
DETECTION. SO WE WORK SEVERAL
CASES WITH HER. WE'RE ABLE TO
SOLVE SEVERAL CASES WITH HER
NAMES. YOU'LL REMEMBER LIKE
ANYA AGUILAR, THE 13 YEAR-OLD
GIRL WHOSE BODY WAS FOUND IN
2018 WEEKS AFTER SHE WAS
KIDNAPPED AT HER HOME IN
ROBESON COUNTY. AND MARIAH
WOODS WHO WAS MURDERED BY HER
MOM'S THEN BOYFRIEND DID ONSLOW
COUNTY IN 2017. ONE WAS
SPECIAL. ABBIE PATTERSON WHO
WENT MISSING IN 2017 IN STILL
HASN'T BEEN FOUND.
>> WE DON'T USUALLY HAVE A LOT
OF CONVERSATIONS WITH FAMILIES,
BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE
ARIAS FAMILY, WE DIDN'T HAVE.
SHE GOT TO KNOW AND THAT WAS A
SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
THE 2 OF THEM. EVEN WHEN SHE
COULDN'T BRING CLOSURE. SHE
BROUGHT COMFORT.
>> EVEN IN HER FINAL MOMENTS,
PUTTING HER PAW IN THE HAND OF
HER HANDLER. WORKOUT WAS ONLY
9 YEARS
OLD AND
>> SHE WAS IN SEEMINGLY GOOD
HEALTH. YOU KNOW, NONE OF THE
VET EXAMS OR ANYTHING INDICATED
THAT SHE WASN'T. AND THEN ALL
OF THE SUDDEN KIND OF OUT OF
NOWHERE. I GOT A CALL THAT SAID
THAT.
THEY'RE TAKING IT TO THE VET
AND SHE PASSED ON SOON AFTER
FROM A RUPTURED NO ONE WILL
MISS HER MORE THAN DEPUTY
THORPE WHO WORKED WITH HER FROM
2018 UNTIL SHE RETIRED IN 2022,
SHE WENT TO LIVE OUT THE REST
OF HER LIFE WITH JACKSON IN
DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, WHO LIVE IN
GARNER.
>> WHO SHE ALSO HAD A VERY
SPECIAL BOND WITH. NEEDLESS
TO SAY, SHE'S GOING TO BE
MISSED BY SO MANY ACROSS OUR
STATE, HEIDI KIRK, WRAL, NEWS.
>> SHE LEFT A LASTING