New York Times (1968, Feb. 7, p. 29)

Coed kills herself to spare pet dog doomed by father

PHOENIX, Ariz., Feb. 6 (AP) — Linda Marie Ault killed herself, policeman said today, rather than make her dog 'Beauty' pay for her night with a married man.

"I killed her. I killed her. It's just like I killed her myself," a detective quoted her grief-stricken father as saying. "I handed her the gun. I didn't think she would do anything like that."

The 21-year old Arizona State University coed died in a hospital yesterday of a gunshot wound in the head.

The police quoted her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ault, as giving this account: Linda failed to return home from a dance in Tempe Friday night. On Saturday she admitted she had spent the night with an Air Force lieutenant.

The Aults decided on a punishment that would "wake Linda up." They ordered her to shoot the dog she had owned about two years.

On Sunday, the Aults and Linda took the dog into the desert near their home. They had the girl dig a shallow grave. Then Mrs. Ault grasped the dog between her hands, and Mr. Ault gave his daughter a .22 caliber pistol and told her to shoot the dog. Instead, the girl put the pistol to her right temple and shot herself.

The police said there were no charges that could be file against the parents except possibly cruelty to animals.