Rick,

We had two dogs died from disease picked up at the vet. So I empathise with your loss. If there were no other dogs involved I would go with the barking of your neighbour's dogs. Your were just collateral or insurance in case they got the wrong ones. Doesn't make it right though or even make sense.
This maybe harder on your wife as she has to deal with it directly.

Why did they object to the barking? You could be right? You may not be the target but it could be someone close-by. It had to be premeditated so I don't think it was youths for kicks.

As you say you probably don't want to know who it was. In your shoes I would be hard pressed to rein myself in if I knew.

We now have a dog that is related to the first two. We didn't go looking he just sort of arrived. He is sat on my desk now as I type! Small dog not big desk!