Florida Cop Allegedly Tried to Frame Woman's Murder as Suicide After Stealing and Selling Her Dog

A Florida cop has been accused of trying to frame an elderly woman's murder as a suicide after stealing and selling her dog.

A Florida sheriff's deputy has been accused of attempting to kill an elderly woman after stealing and selling her dog. Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight said Monday that Deputy Frankie Bybee was being held without bail on attempted murder and additional charges, CBS News reported.

Bybee was placed on administrative leave earlier this month when authorities found his fingerprints on fraudulently signed checks. According to Knight, the total amount of defrauded funds is estimated to be $65,000. Bybee is also accused of selling the victim's dog on Craigslist, though the two were reunited Tuesday:

Just three days after the fingerprint discovery, the victim notified authorities Bybee had allegedly "physically dominated her" and forced her to ingest unnamed pills. When deputies arrived, they found the residence was filled with carbon monoxide from a car left running in the garage. Detectives believe Bybee was trying to cover his attempted murder by making the scene resemble a suicide, WTSP reported.

An 18 year veteran of the force, Knight is believed to have first met the 79-year-old victim when responding to a call last October. The incident, Knight told reporters this week, is a "disgrace to this agency and to the law enforcement profession."

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