Private investigator Jon Licher of Yucca Valley wants the citizens of the Morongo Basin to know that “the search for the heartless killer of a black Labrador retriever in Pioneertown is continuing.” He is joined in the search by another Yucca Valley-based investigator, Raymond Miller.

Licher and Miller are part of a team of private investigators who have been working pro bono for the dog’s owners since April 10, 2008. The private investigators have interviewed numerous people in the area and have conducted surveys of the crime scene for evidence.

Brody, a black Labrador retriever belonging to Sara Horowitz and David Littlepage, was found shot in the back of the head and left to die on Feb. 25 near a fenced area in Pioneertown. People have been questioned by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and private investigators, but no arrests have been made.

Miller called it a “very strange case” and speculated that “someone has to know something about what happened to the dog.”

Animal-rights groups, San Bernardino County and an anonymous donor have put up money for a reward leading to the arrest and conviction of the culprit. With a $20,000 reward at stake, there have been lots of calls into the WE TIP hotline.

Being close to the Yucca Valley and Pioneertown communities, Miller and Licher, both members of the California Association of Licensed Investigators, said they feel it is their civic responsibility to identify the shooter and bring that person to justice. They have also said that one of their next plans of action in the case may be to bring in a polygraph examiner to verify information given in statements by people of interest in the case.

“There is no obligation to take the test,” says Miller. “It’s just a tool that gives us something more to work with.” Miller adds the polygraph is portable, and can be done at someone’s residence.

“We haven’t given up and we will continue to work this case until it is solved, or until there are no more leads. We owe that much to the dog’s owners and to the Pioneertown community,” Licher said.

Anyone with information about Brody’s hooting should contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department at 366-4175, Intelligent Ops International Inc. at 333-6978 or J.D. Licher Investigations at 365-7798.

“We don’t need that killer to be on the street,” Miller stated.