Sorry for your loss. I agree those dogs know who did it and they know the person as OK, not a stranger. In 2004 I had a break in while I was in my vacation home. Only slept there about two nights a month. Dumb luck to be there. Jerk kicked in the back door. I greeted him with a Sterlingworth 12 bore, in the living room. To say it was a bad day for him would have been an understatement. Held him for the Deputy Sheriff.
He ended up turning states evidence and help solve countless crimes in that county. He knew who did, or did himself, just about every crime that had happened in the last six months. He got off without any more than time served. No sweat though, he got busted about three months later and is still in prison. Talk about stupid. I bet the people he help convict were real happy to see him in prison with them.
Knew a person who was repeatedly robbed. Four or five times in just a couple years. Locals. They got past dogs and alarms at will. He ended the problem by "keeping" snakes in the house. Big sign on the front and rear doors explains that his snakes are poisonous and that the local hospital does have the anti venom on hand if you get there in time. Kept a couple of snake skin sheds in plain sight of the windows. That has been over ten years and he still has no problems. I doubt he has seen or kept a snake in years but they did serve their purpose.
