Alleged hit man facing trial for double Florida murder indicted for killing dog in Athens

By Joe Johnson

While Justin Robert Casagranda is set to face double murder charges in a Florida courtroom he was indicted this week by an Athens grand jury for the killing of a dog when he lived here three years ago.

According to the sheriff's office in Florida's Charlotte County, Casagranda had been hired by a woman to kill her husband, Mario Schiano, in the city of Punta Gorda. When carrying out the scheme last year he allegedly killed Schiano and the man's friend who happened to be present, Anthony Galeotti.

The sheriff's office said that Casagranda had been friends with his target, and even lived with Schiano's family before moving to Athens in 2022.

Casagranda returned to Punta Gorda in January 2024 to carry out the murder plot, according to the sheriff's office, which said that drugs and money were the core reasons for the hit job.

Deputies came to Athens in February of last year and executed a search warrant at Casagrada's home on Westchester Drive, at which time he was arrested for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and served with murder warrants.

At the time Casagranda was free on bail from his arrest in Athens for using a hammer to kill his pitbull named Bruno.

He was subsequently extradited to Florida and remains imprisoned while awaiting trial.

This past Tuesday, an Athens grand jury indicted Casagranda for Bruno’s death, charging him with aggravated animal cruelty.