Jo Ann Echelbarger was fatally mauled by the dogs in October (Image: Tasha Rogers)
Two dogs that savagely killed and dismembered a grandmother last year were reportedly high on at the time, according to reports.The bereaved family of the victim has since filed a against the pitbulls’ owners, the local dog warden, and the condominium complex where the owners resided during the time of the horrific attack.
In October of last year, were called to the home of JoAnn Echelbarger in Ohio after two neighbour-owned pitbulls, named Echo and Apollo, launched a brutal attack on her while she was tending to her .
The 73 year old woman tragically succumbed to her injuries, with her husband unable to assist due to his dementia and being confined to a wheelchair. In a shocking revelation, it has emerged that the , who were ultimately shot and killed by police, had traces of cocaine in their systems at the time of the incident, as reported by the Columbus Dispatch, citing pathology reports, reports
In a chilling detail from the lawsuit, one of the dogs is said to have returned to continue its attack on Jo Ann even after being shot. Both Adam Withers and his mother Susan Withers, the owners of the dogs, were found of involuntary manslaughter following the attack.
One of the dogs had previously been labelled as dangerous after attacking another resident (Image: Getty)
Prior to the attack, there had been numerous complaints and orders from the homeowners’ association for the removal of the pit bulls, culminating in a judge finally ordering the Withers to remove the dogs.
One of the dogs had previously been labelled as dangerous after attacking another resident of the condo, Kimberlee Black, and killing her puppy in October 2023. Despite a judge’s order, the attack occurred several weeks after the dogs were ordered to be removed, as reported by .
Just weeks prior to the fatal incident, police were called to the Withers’ residence due to the dogs running loose in the condo complex. At that point, it was suspected that the dogs had consumed their owner’s cocaine, according to the lawsuit. However, the dogs were returned home and the dog warden allegedly failed to intervene.
The victim’s son, Bill Rogers, criticised the police response that day as “reckless.” in an interview with ABC6. He expressed his grief, saying, “I feel like they were gambling with a lot of people’s lives that day. And she was the one who paid the price.”
Echelbarger’s daughter Earlene told the outlet, “She did not deserve this. She was tortured and she suffered. This is not what you expect your parent to go through. This is not what you expect to happen to anyone you love.”
The family’s solicitor, Adam Scranton, told , “The jury went out the day before, and the trial lasted a day and a half. We thought the [jury] might split it – find him guilty but not her, or vice versa. We were a little shocked by the length of time the jurors were out and that they convicted them both of everything.”
The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages exceeding $25,000, along with punitive damages, the amount of which will be announced at the trial. Scranton highlighted that his clients “don’t have a lot of money.”
As reported by PEOPLE, the sentencing date for Adam and Susan Withers, convicted of involuntary manslaughter, is yet to be confirmed.