Pit Bull Owner Acquitted of Second-Degree Manslaughter
Cecille Short, 82-years old, and her small dog were savagely killed by two pit bulls.
Dog Owner Acquitted
UPDATE 11/06/21: Last week, the criminal trial began for a man whose two loose pit bulls savagely killed Cecille Short and her dog back in 2017. Antwon Burks faced a second-degree manslaughter charge. Leading up to her death, neighbors had complained about the dogs escaping from Burk's backyard. Prosecutors showed the jury pictures of a damaged fence with a large hole that was partially barricaded by a "recycling bin" and "cooler" weighted down by rocks.
In closing arguments, the prosecutor told jurors that Burks paid $8,000 to an Alabama breeder for the two dogs, but couldn't muster up a dime to fix the fence properly. Despite the jerry-rigged fence, the jury acquitted Burks after more than seven hours of deliberation. "We are heartbroken for the family of Cecille Short," District Attorney David Prater said. This has been a horrific and preventable tragedy to that family. We don't understand the verdict of the jury but we respect it."
During the trial, the defense called the dogs' breeder to the stand. Krystina Shumate of Iron Throne Kennels cried during her testimony as a defense witness. "I was absolutely devastated. I couldn't believe it. This isn't something that my dogs do. This isn't something that my dogs do." However, in 2016, she boasted on the Iron Throne website about "Leatherface" being bred to "Terrorist Threat's biggest daughter" and Leatherface's father being named "Chainsaw."
Krystina and her partner, Adam, consistently call their dogs "monsters" and "super freaks." They bill the Huntsville-based kennel as producing the "world's most extreme XL pit bulls." The male attacking dog, "Ice Cube," is seen at 4-months old on their Instagram page. Posthumously, one commenter wrote, "This should be illegal if Vick went to prison for dog fights. This should be illegal for breeding of dogs imagine if that bitch got loose," referring to a ferocious photo of "Cowboy."
"Ice Cube" seen in photographs shown in the trial was shot and killed by police at the scene.
05/10/17: Owner Charged with Manslaughter
On Wednesday, the owner of two dogs that brutally killed an 82-year old woman and her dog in April was charged with second-degree manslaughter. Antwon Demetris Burks, 31, is accused of keeping "mischievous dogs" that he allowed to roam, which resulted in the mauling death of Cecille Short. A news chopper captured the grisly aftermath of the scene. Emergency medical crews said the attack was so gruesome that the victim was nearly decapitated by the dogs.
If convicted of second-degree manslaughter in connection to the dog mauling death of Cecille Short, Burks faces up to four years in prison.
The attack occurred on April 6 in the 11600 block of Windmill Road, a neighborhood in northwest Oklahoma City. Witnesses told investigators the two pit bulls were dragging Short "by the head and neck area, causing her death," reports The Oklahoman. First responders were initially unable to help the victim. Police officers later fired on both dogs, killing one, and rammed the other with a police cruiser. The surviving pit bull was taken into custody to be held as evidence in the case.
After the attack, police taped off an area around Burks' residence at 11624 Kings Circle, about a block away from the attack scene. Investigators found an extensive hole in the fencing where the two large dogs escaped. They described it as "old damage," reports The Oklahoman, and that it appeared someone had tried to cover it up with boards, a recycling container and an ice chest. Prosecutors said Burks' actions led to Short being attacked and killed by his two loose dogs.
04/07/17: Mauling Victim Identified
Late yesterday, a photograph of the two dogs was released showing a pit bull and an XXL pit bull, a designer breed, also known as an American bully. In 2014, a similar dog killed a little girl in Louisiana. Of the two major kennel clubs, only the United Kennel Club (UKC) recognizes the American bully and it only began doing so in 2013. Also, any "UKC registered American Pit Bull Terriers are eligible to transfer to the American Bully," states the UKC breed transfer form.
We call it a designer breed because that is what it is. The dogs usually come with a "designer" price tag too -- the point of a designer breed.1
Headlines, as of late last night and today, are reflecting this confusion. No one is quite sure what to call the large white and brown dog with heavily exaggerated features. Yet if one does a Google Search for "XXL Pit Bulls," one will recognize this dog breed immediately. The American bullies work in two different directions, extreme exaggerations in the weight, size and features of a traditional pit bull, as well as the pocket pit bull, which is an extremely squat version of the breed.
Earlier today, The Oklahoman interviewed Jon Gary, the Superintendent of Animal Welfare for Oklahoma City, about the two dogs and their previous history.
"[The female gray dog] suffered two gunshot wounds, as well as abrasions. We were told that she was also hit by a police car … She's a large pit bull, probably 80 or 90 pounds, so she's very large. Um, pit bull-type dog," he said.
When asked by a reporter the size of the other dog, Gary responded, "It was also a pit bull-type dog and it was also a very large dog, over a hundred pounds."
When asked by a reporter, "Did you say that there have been calls for service regarding these two dogs?" Gary responded, "We have. At this point in time, I can't tell you the exact number. I have my staff currently doing research on any history there may be," he said.
Mauling Victim Identified
This morning, police identified the mauling victim as 82-year old Cecille Short. The owner of the two dogs was out of town at the time of the fatal attack. Reporter Bill Miston of News Channel 4 tweeted earlier that police are seeking surveillance cameras, Officer "Knight stressing that there isn't much to go on." Miston also tweeted that the surviving dog -- that was both rammed by a cruiser and shot by police -- was the smaller pit bull. The dog is currently being held as evidence.
Last August, nine months after a pack of pit bulls killed a man in Oklahoma City, authorities filed second-degree manslaughter charges against the dog's owner. Those dogs escaped though a hole in their owner's fence and viciously attacked 60-year old Edgar Brown. The severe bite injuries led to multiple complications, amputations and eventually to his death less than two weeks later. The dogs that killed Short and her dog also escaped through a hole in their owner's fence.
04/06/17: Woman and Dog Killed
Oklahoma City, OK - A woman and her dog were both killed by two pit bulls while walking in a northwest Oklahoma City neighborhood Thursday afternoon. First responders were called to the attack scene in the 11600 block of Windmill Road. One of the attacking dogs was shot and killed by police. The other pit bull was rammed by a police vehicle, but survived. Police have confirmed that both attacking dogs were pit bulls. Below, Master Sgt. Gary Knight describes the narrative.
"Sadly a woman was out walking her dog earlier today when she was attacked -- her an her dog were attacked by two large dogs, one of which was a pit bull. I don't know the breed of the other dog. During this attack, the woman's dog and the woman, sadly, were both killed. They were both mauled to death by the two dogs. When officers arrived, they tried to get to the woman to render aid to her. They were not able to get to her at first because of the dogs. They had to shoot one of the dogs and the second dog was actually hit by a police car and taken into custody. It was still alive and was transported to animal welfare to be treated." - Master Sgt. Gary Knight, Oklahoma City Police Department
Clear Public Safety Threat
Jurisdictions across the U.S. ban or regulate pit bulls specifically to stop this type of attack: an off-property attack by a pit bull that ends in severe injury or death. A woman and her dog were walking down a suburban neighborhood street when two pit bulls launched a violent attack, killing them both. Neither the woman nor her dog could defend themselves against the animals. Officers had to shoot one pit bull to death and ram the other with a police cruiser to end the attack.
"Emergency crews say the attack was so gruesome that the victim was nearly decapitated." - Matthew Nuttle, News 9, April 6, 2017
Neighbor Tim Pool spoke to the heart of the issue. “My gosh, this is right down the street from where we live, and every one of these attacks is always where somebody lives," he told News Channel 4. “I walk these streets almost every morning with my dog and, many times, my dog’s been attacked by other people’s dogs, and I’ve cautioned them: Don’t do that, they have to be controlled. Many receive it well. Others don’t seem to understand what I’m talking about," he said.2
Other neighbors told Fox 25 that at least one of the pit bulls has attacked other local dogs before. Last October, one neighbor even circulated a letter warning others of an attack and calling the two dogs "2 vicious animals." Jerry Bowerman has lived in the area for 36 years. He told The Oklahoman -- referring to the home surrounded by crime scene tape on Kings Circle -- that two pit bulls reside in that household, a gray female pit bull and a "huge" white male pit bull, he said.
Surreal Late Evening Update
Late in the evening, News 9 published their final report, which included images of the attack scene and the two pit bulls. One the dogs is an XXL pit bull, a designer pit bull breed. In 2014, a similar dog devoured a little girl in Houma, Louisiana. The dog was initially shot three times by police officers. Unfazed by the trio of bullets, officers fired 10 more rounds into the hulking dog before killing it. It is clear now why early reports of the Oklahoma attack simply called it a "large dog."
The News 9 report shows images of the hole in the fence that police believe the dogs escaped through, as well as the letter circulated by a neighbor about the dogs in October. Neighbors heard about the attack through Urgent Alerts on the NextDoor App. The victim, who has still not been named, was a senior citizen walking a small dog. The owner of the two pit bulls -- referred to as a he -- was out of town at the time of the attack. Police say more information will be released Friday.
View the DogsBite.org Google State Map: Oklahoma Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.
⚠️ OKCPD & @OKCFD are working a vicious animal attack involving two pit bulls near 8500 Willow Creek Blvd. (1 of 3)— Oklahoma City Police (@OKCPD) April 6, 2017
2Some of these dogs are so exaggerated it is revolting. As one comnenter puts it, these are "mutant freak dogs."
Related articles:
02/28/17: 2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Dies After Vicious Attack by Two Pit Bulls in Lincoln...
01/19/17: 2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bulls Kill Child, Critically Injure Another, on Way to School...
08/04/16: 2015 Dog Bite Fatality: Oklahoma Man Dies After Vicious Attack by Five Pit Bulls
04/11/14: 2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Family Pit Bull Kills 4-Year Old Girl in Houma, Louisiana
Law enforcement departments across the United States should release consistent "baseline" information to the media and the public after each fatal dog mauling, including these items.
Somebody had better go to jail for this
Taken to animal welfare for treatment? For crying out loud, put that dog down! It just killed people.
Why in the Sam Hill should it live on the taxpayers' dime?
I meant to say that it just killed a woman and her dog.
Treatment?! Kill the other damn mauler!
they escape while in the care of the pet sitter. This victim was almost decapitated just for walking her dog. I hope there's enough to get this guy convicted
Victim was Cecille Short, 82 years old.
Blame the breed of the dog AND the idiot owners who decided they needed such pieces of shit and weren't bright enough to contain them.
Blame the breed of dog not the owners!!!!!
Pocket pit bull? I always referred them as ghetto pigs.
Local legislators and animal control killed that woman and her dog.
They knew these pit bulls were violent, and they did nothing about it but enabled a murder. They are as guilty as the pit bull owner.
The owners are responsible because of the choices they made. Owning a pet is a choice. The breed you own is a choice. The choice in the type of confinement used is all up to the owner. No one held a gun to this dog owner's head and said, "Keep these dogs that were bred to attack and kill in an inadequate enclosure so that it endangers your neighbors lives, or die." We are free to own any dog we want. That comes with a great responsibility, both to the dog and the people around us. If you choose to ignore the warnings, the breeding, and the bloody mistakes of those that have gone before you, then it's all on you. You can no longer wring your hands after the fact and say, "I didn't know."
I feel like the city is responsible for the wrongful death of this woman. They had been notified on numerous occasions of incidents with these dogs and it appears did not provide proper follow up. There are cases in cities and counties across the U.S. of this very same thing….dogs loose, they get a little bad, a little more bad and then someone dies. It's inexcusable that residents of these communities pay taxes and are not afforded protection.
I agree with Anne Landers. I also think that it is time to start suing animal control, er, welfare agencies. They're not protecting the public and they need to refocus on that mission.
I think that big dog is a razor's edge pitbull which is Pitbull mixed with Neapolitan Mastiff. You can tell by the baggy skin and then also probably American Bulldog Pitbull mastiff bulldog breeding…For large extra extra large sizes.about 20 years ago I live in Fort Lauderdale people were stealing Neapolitan mastiffs and are usually very nice and family pets.now 20 years later you're seeing aggressive pitbull bulldog French Mastiff bullmastiff mixes.very scary
What a horrific story. And how big a hole does a 100lb pit bull need to escape a fence? That must be a hole with a fence around it.
Pit doodles abound. 30 years ago, they were all called bandogges, ie, pit bulls mixed with something else so the owners could claim they weren't pit bulls, no officer, they're mutts! Still a popular idea, btw, that all pit mixes are generic mutts rather than obvious pit bull mixes.
The pit bull people are unique in so many ways, but their obsession with cross-breeding for no valid purpose is a biggie. Most dog owners who don't work their dogs are religiously spaying/neutering their pets. A handful of people with herding, agility, flyball, guide/therapy, etc. dogs are crossing them to improve the genetic health and perfect their specific goals. Pit people, who don't work their animals at any actual task, cross them for no apparent reason – the only changes are in sizes and shapes. The American Bully breed is touted as having a better temperament than the pit bull breeds which were used to develop it. Since it's a breed with very small numbers and at least two have killed people in its short history, the temperament is clearly not quite there yet.
Speaking of pit bull offshoots – anyone see the claimed Alapaha Blue-Blood Bulldogs that went beserk in the UK last week? Another classic bandogge scam. And another classic pit owner – chest thrust out, arms waving, arguing angrily with people telling him to leash them even as they're mauling a dog and attacking people.
The "authorities" are all trying to cover their asses! I hope this woman has at least one relative that is willing to litigate and sue the AC/county into the ground.
I hope that the victim's family also has a lawyer.
That other mauler would be easier to store as evidence if it was dead.
Just trying to be helpful.
People claim pit-bulls are sweet and friendly but they are only friendly until they attack someone and maim or kill them. And insurance companies won't even insure someone with a pit bull and that should tell you something. Shelters that have pit-bulls should have to disclose to the people who adopt them what the pit-bull's history has been and even then it is risky to adopt one.
The owner has been charged with manslaughter! http://newsok.com/article/5548688
Most of the news stories either don't name the dog breed or say pit bull and another large dog.
Hopefully the fact that several of these cases have resulted in charges and even convictions will make owners of dangerous dogs take notice and better precautions. If just one of these horrifying tragedies can be avoided, it would be worth it.
It is a start in the right direction.
I just hope the DA has the cojones to not offer a plea deal. 4 years for a max sentence is pathetic enough, but to allow him to skate with next to no jail time is just wrong. Anyone who owns this type of dog knows exactly what they're capable of, so he cannot claim ignorance. And the fact they're XXL pitbulls, means he's XX responsible for those frickin' disgusting landsharks and the damage they do.
That petite little grandmother didn't stand a chance and what a horrific, violent NEEDLESS death. My Gosh, she might as well went swimming with a school of great white sharks; she may have stood a better chance.
How many stories like this are we as a society going to have to read? How many defenseless people and animals are going to DIE before our Government does something ?? The answer is NOT banning the breed, it's time to regulate the breeding of any and all pitbull type dogs. Stop the breeding period.
The guy that owned these dogs is a useless, irresponsible idiot who had no business owning any dog and that seems to always be the case in most of these attacks !! No responsibility by the owners, they're always looking to blame the attack on something. Hole in the fence, someone left the door open etc…it goes on and on.
RIP Cecile Short. I am so sorry this happened to you. Praying you are with Jesus right now.
I'm worried sick about my grandson who is 8 months old my son and his girlfriend just recently got a pitbull and seem to think it's okay they say she's nice I said it only takes one time for my grandson to get hurt or worse I wish there was something we could do before it gets too late if you have any information that would help me prevent my grandson from getting hurt please they wont listen to me [email protected]
Animal control and police failed to do their jobs. The dogs had been proven to be a menace yet AC, very possibly controlled by pitbull enthusiasts, let the irresponsible and ignorant owner have the dogs back with no repercussions. Canine legislation in this neighborhood needs to be passed with very strict laws and penalties, including euthanizing dogs that threaten the community like these murder mongrels did.
I’m guessing pitbull owners were on the jury.
This is a confusing verdict.
The outcome of the criminal trial has absolutely zero to do with the proof of the evidence presented. The outcome of the trial has absolutely zero to do with point of law. The outcome of the trial is predicated solely on where the jurors’ sympathy lies. Once the jury is selected, the case is decided and over and done. In this case, the jurors’ sympathy was not with the manslaughter victim. In this case, the jurors’ sympathy was with the dog owner. The jurors are convinced that people have the right to commit manslaughter by dangerous canine, and to do so with total impunity and total immunity. This is the only, single, sole determinant for this verdict.