Honk News (Columbus, OH) – Two pit bulls that tragically killed an Ohio grandmother last year were allegedly under the influence of cocaine during the incident.
The woman’s family has initiated a lawsuit against the dogs’ owners, the town dog warden, and the condominium complex where the dogs’ owners lived during the incident.
Authorities arrived at JoAnn Echelbarger’s residence last October following a horrific incident where her neighbors’ pit bulls, Echo and Apollo, brutally attacked and dismembered her while she tended to her garden. The 73-year-old woman tragically passed away from her injuries, as her husband, who suffers from dementia and relies on a wheelchair, was unable to assist her.
According to pathology reports cited by the Columbus Dispatch, the dogs tested positive for cocaine at the time of the incident. Authorities fatally shot the pit bulls soon after the incident occurred.
The family claims in the lawsuit that despite being shot, one of the dogs came back to Jo Ann and kept on attacking.
In February, Adam Withers and his mother Susan Withers were convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with their dogs.
A judge has mandated the removal of the dogs from the Withers’ residence following numerous complaints and directives from the homeowners’ association, just weeks prior to the incident involving Echelbarger, as reported by NBC4.
Despite the circumstances, the dogs remained at the residence, and once more, only weeks prior to the tragic incident, law enforcement was summoned to the Withers’ property. During that period, the dogs, roaming freely at the condo complex, were thought to have consumed their owner’s cocaine, according to the lawsuit. The dogs returned home, but it seems the dog warden did not provide the necessary assistance.
Bill Rogers, Echelbarger’s son, expressed to ABC6 that the official response on that day was “reckless.”
“I feel like they were gambling with a lot of people’s lives that day,” said Rogers. “And she was the one who paid the price.”
Read More – Judge Rules Indiana Must Arrange Surgery for Transgender Inmate Convicted of Homicide of a Baby
About her mom’s death, 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.”
Peter Scranton, the attorney for Adam Withers, informed PEOPLE that the date for sentencing remains undecided for both Adam and Susan Withers following their convictions for involuntary manslaughter.
“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,” Scranton says.
The lawsuit for wrongful death seeks compensatory damages surpassing $25,000, in addition to punitive damages that will be disclosed during the trial.