The parents of an infant killed by their pit bull in April 2024 face a 1st degree felony indictment.
Parents Charged with Felonies
Marion, OH - On Monday, Marion County prosecutors announced a felony indictment against the parents of an infant who was killed by a family pit bull on April 28, 2024. Until Monday, this fatal dog attack had not been reported to the public by media or police. The Marion County grand jury charged Blake Bates and Alyssa Smith with involuntary manslaughter, child endangering, and reckless homicide. Each defendant faces up to 11 to 16.5 years in prison if convicted on all counts.
The indictment comes five days after a mother and son in Pickaway County, Ohio were sentenced to prison after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter after their two pit bulls with a history of violence killed their neighbor. Susan and Adam Withers were sentenced to 14 to 19.5 years each, the maximum allowable, in connection to the death of Jo Echelbarger. In March, Echelbarger's family was featured in a 4-part investigation series by media outlets examining Ohio's weak dangerous dog laws.
Ray Grogan Marion County Prosecutor's Office
April 7, 2025MARION COUNTY PROSECUTOR RAY GROGAN ANNOUNCES INDICTMENT AGAINST PARENTS IN FATAL DOG ATTACK OF INFANT CHILD
MARION, OHIO — The Marion County Grand Jury has brought felony charges against Blake Bates and Alyssa Smith, the parents involved in the death of their infant due to a vicious dog attack. The incident occurred on April 28, 2024, at the couple’s home on Miami Street in Marion.
The Marion County Grand Jury charged Blake Bates and Alyssa Smith with Involuntary Manslaughter, Child Endangering, and Reckless Homicide.
Both Defendants were arraigned today on the charges. Smith is being held on a $50,000 bond and Bates is being held on a $100,000 bond.
Grogan and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Mark R. Weaver will prosecute these two defendants.
The case will be heard by Common Pleas Court Judge Todd Anderson. Each of the defendants faces up to 11 to 16 ½ years in prison if convicted on all counts.
Anyone who lives in the Miami Street area and has information about previous aggressive behavior of the family’s pit bull “Kilo” should contact Marion Police Lt. Dylan Reese.
All defendants who are charged with crimes, including these defendants, have a legal presumption of innocence until and unless convicted.
The fatal mauling of 6-month old Royal Bates occurred on April 28, 2024 at the parent's home in the 500 block of Miami Street. Despite the indictment already backed by evidence, the prosecutor's office is asking for help to identify other aggressive acts committed by "Kilo," the couple's male pit bull. "Anyone who lives in the Miami Street area and has information about previous aggressive behavior of the family’s pit bull “Kilo” should contact Marion Police Lt. Dylan Reese," the release says.
Marion County Prosecutor Ray Grogan said that a year before the dog killed the infant, Kilo attacked a neighbor's child, but no corrective action was taken. “When you have a dog in any instance that demonstrates aggressive behavior towards a human being, you have to take steps to either one put that dog down or ensure that the dog isn’t going to have access to do real harm to somebody, particularly a child,” Grogan said. “When you don’t do that, there are consequences for that,” he said.
Kilo was euthanized after the attack, authorities said. Online research of the mother's Facebook page shows there were at least three other pit bulls in the home, possibly offspring of Kilo. Multiple pit bulls remained in the home after Royal was killed. In January 2025, 10 months after Royal's death, the mother announced on Facebook she was looking for a "forever" home for one of the six pit bull-mix dogs in her home. "I just can't do it by myself anymore with 6 dogs I would keep them all if I could."
Bonds and Law & Crime Episode
Notably, Bates is being held in jail on a much higher bond than Smith, because Bates was already incarcerated for separate felony crimes when the fatal dog mauling felony indictment came down. On January 29, 2025, Bates was charged with "strangulation," a 3rd degree felony, after a domestic violence incident. A jury trial is set for June. On February 26, 2025, Bates was charged with "escape," also a 3rd degree felony in Ohio, after attempting to escape from the domestic violence charges.
On Monday, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Mark R. Weaver appeared on a Law & Crime episode about the baby's mauling death (4:35). Weaver spoke about the circumstances around the attack. At approximately 10:48 am, the infant was under the care of his 8-year old sister in the living room. The father was outside, and the mother was in the bathroom, Weaver said. Royal rolled off the couch, and Kilo attacked him, ripping open his skull (6:58). This, horrifically, goes on for some period of time.
"The horrific facts about how this played out is that the mom and the dad are out of the room. The dad is somewhere outside. The mother may have been taking a shower. They left the six-month-old in the care of an eight-year-old child, the other child in the house. Some how or way the baby rolls off the couch.
In that moment the dog grasps and begins biting -- this is horrible -- the baby's head, the baby's skull. It takes a while for when the adults are finally back in the room to get the dog off the baby. Of course, 911 was called and heroic efforts were made to save this baby's life. It did not succeed.
As a result, they have been indicted for involuntary manslaughter and reckless homicide." - Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Mark R. Weaver
Weaver said the year-long investigation prior to the felony indictment concentrated on the dog's history. Confirming previous acts of aggression the parents knew of make them more culpable. Police interviewed friends, family members and neighbors, including neighbors that had moved away. Police learned that in the months leading up to the attack, Kilo had gone after a neighborhood child and the dog warden was called. As the press release states, police are still seeking information about Kilo.
Weaver also questioned the owner's mentality and breed of dog. "Only the people closest to these husband and wife will be able to tell us what the mentality of the owners was," he said (9:35). "Why would you want to have a pit bull? You could have had a poodle. You could have had a lab. Why a pit bull?" he asked. "The defendants don't have to testify. If they take the stand, I'll be asking them why they chose this breed and why they treated this dog in a way that would make it more vicious."
Both Marion and Pickaway counties are close to Columbus. So is Union County, where three weeks ago, the self-appointed "dog whisperer," Steffen Baldwin, was sentenced to 15.5 years in prison after being convicted of fraud, abuse, theft and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. Baldwin had risen to fame in the no-kill sphere by secretly killing dangerous pit bulls he was supposed to be "magically" rehabilitating. As we write this post, another baby was killed by a family pit bull in Columbus.
Kilo, the male pit bull responsible for killing infant Royal Bates, seen on Facebook. The baby's parents now face a felony indictment of involuntary manslaughter and reckless homicide.
The baby's parents, Blake Bates and Alyssa Smith, allegedly had knowledge their male pit bull, Kilo, had a history of aggression prior to the dog ripping open the infant's skull, killing him.
View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Ohio Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.Related articles:
03/24/25: Ohio's Weak Dangerous Dog Laws: 4-Part Investigation by News Organizations
04/02/25: 2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Ohio Woman and Dog Killed by Vicious Dogs in Ashville
03/13/25: Unmasking a Con: How a Pit Bull Activist Rose to Fame in the No-Kill Community...
02/12/25: 2024 Dog Bite Fatality: 3-Year Old Girl Killed by Dogs While Visiting Father in Cincinnati
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.
Its about time they give monsters owner of those evil dogs long jail sentence and not a lousy ticket.if only they can ban them forever.poor baby he died really young.
These are the consequences brought about by what I call “The Pit Bull Cult”! Organizations dedicated to defending these animals lie about their aggressive and potentially deadly nature…they brain wash ppl into into adopting/raising one of these animals, just to find out in the most horrible manner that they were lied/deceived and fell victims of “The Pit Bull Cult”. The worst part is seeing innocent people (specially children), being badly injured or killed by other people’s stupidities!
I don’t understand why ppl like these two have children in the first place. They obviously don’t care for them the way they do for the stupid dogs. With all the methods of birth control available, why have a child when you can have 6 pits???! FFS.
I no longer walk my dooldes. We have neighbors that own pits, and two keep getting out. One of my neighbors was walking her dog and the pit came after them, she pulled a gun on it, but a neighbor called out to the dog and it came after her, then the owner came out. She took them to court. They moved away and took their monster with them. This breed should be culled and banned. They are unstable and unpredictable and dangerous. Land sharks.
Above and beyond my disgust at the parent’s inability to grasp the dangerous predicament having these dogs puts their family in. I am horrified to think of the guilt the 8 year old must feel. No child should be in that position, and then to have to watch his or her parent continue to have these killers…prayers for this child to find peace.
How did this mauling death of an infant go unreported by anybody for almost a year?!?!
There is something seriously wrong with both our media and local authorities. It doesn’t help people make rational choices when a public health truth (about dogs generally and pit bulls in particular) is continually covered up.
Because reporting on it would speak ill of the almighty doG. And we can’t have that, now can we?