Posted on February 27, 2019 by Colleen Lynn

2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Elderly Woman Mauled by Pack of Dogs in Pickett County Dies

Bessie "Jill" Peterson, 88, died Tuesday after being mauled by a pack of dogs.

Owner Faces Two Felonies
UPDATE 09/10/19: On August 13, the Pickett County Grand Jury indicted Holland "Holly" Evans of Pall Mall in connection to the death of 88-year old Bessie Jill Peterson. On February 26, Jill was savagely attacked and killed by a pack of six dogs. Her sister, Nina Brown, 85, witnessed part of the attack. "They dragged her down the yard and all of her clothes were off, her shoes, everything. They tore all of her hair out, the casket can't be open, it's like a nightmare," Brown said back then.

The attack occurred in Jill's backyard. Evans, who owns the dogs and resided next door, now faces two felonies: 1.) Dogs running at large causing death, a Class D Felony and 2.) Criminally negligent homicide, a Class E Felony. Evans is currently being held at the Fentress County Jail, with a bond of $500,000. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for November 14. District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway had attempted to indict Evans in April, but that grand jury declined.

The Pickett County Press did not run this article online. Kim Brown is a niece of the victim. Evans has multiple aliases, including: Holland "Holly" Evans-Delk, Holland Hugh Evans and Holly Evans.

04/24/19: Report Clarifies Breeds Involved
The local newspaper, The Pickett County Press, recently clarified the breeds involved in the brutal mauling death of 88-year old Jill Peterson. Sheriff Dowdy stated that the veterinarian report determined that each of the six dogs is a mixed-breed. One of the dogs "could have had some type of shepherd mix," reports The Press, but none of the dogs had pit bull features. No photographs of the attacking dogs were released. The owner of the dogs remains unnamed.

"This is a very sad situation. Once we gather the facts, we'll determine if there's criminal liability or not." - District Attorney Bryant Dunaway

The vicious pack attack occurred on February 26 while Peterson was in her own backyard. Her sister Nina Brown witnessed part of the deadly mauling. "They drug her down there in the yard and all of her clothes was off. They just tore them, her shoes and everything. All of her hair is out. The casket can't be open," Brown said back in February. District Attorney Bryant Dunaway said his office would likely present this case before the Pickett County grand jury at the end of April.

Previous news reports stated that authorities had been contacted about these dogs in the past. Through a records request, The Press was able to review the Pickett County Sheriff call logs pertaining to any calls at Evans Lane about dogs. They found five calls regarding dogs that began on July 7, 2016 with the last being placed on May 8, 2018. The calls were made by different people for complaints of "unidentified" dogs barking and approaching people, reports The Press.

02/28/19: Sister Shares Attack Details
Bessie "Jill" Peterson's sister, Nina Brown, shared the horrific details of her sister's violent dog mauling death with News Channel 5. On Tuesday, Jill went out to the back of her home to clear a drainage ditch after recent heavy rains. A pack of six German shepherd-mixes came up behind her and viciously attacked her. "They dragged her down the yard and all of her clothes were off, her shoes, everything. They tore all of her hair out, the casket can’t be open," Brown said.

"Whatever she (the owner) gets, it won’t be enough," Brown said. "She knew the dogs were dangerous and did nothing about it." - Nina Brown

Brown, who is 85, witnessed part of the attack. She tried to intervene, but three of the dogs charged her. "They started after me and I had to call 911," Brown said. Peterson was airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she later died. The dogs belong to a neighbor who lives behind her home. Over the years, prior incidents by these dogs had been reported to authorities. District Attorney Bryant Dunaway said the dog's owner could face homicide charges.

02/27/19: Pack of Dogs Kill Woman
Pall Mall, TN - An elderly woman is dead after being attacked by a pack of dogs, Pickett County Sheriff Dana Dowdy said today. The attack occurred Tuesday about 5:00 pm. Deputies responded to a 911 call at 161 Evans Lane. Bessie Jill Peterson, 88, was airlifted from the scene to Vanderbilt Medical Center where she later died. Police believe six dogs inflicted the mauling and are alleged to belong to a neighbor. The 13th Judicial District Attorney's Office is aiding in the investigation.

Pickett County is the least populated county in Tennessee with just over 5,000 estimated people. Peterson only had one residential neighbor, according to Pickett County property records. The two other nearby properties are classified as agricultural. Limited information is being released by the sheriff at this time. No description of the dogs has been made public. In early February, in another small town along the Tennessee and Kentucky border, a family pit bull fatally mauled a baby boy.

Past Tennessee Fatalities

The most recent news from Tennessee is a $2.5 million dollar verdict awarded to a family after two pit bulls killed William Parker in 2010. For seven years, his daughter and her mother fought a legal battle against the apartment complex where the pit bulls were kept. They sued management, Epstein Enterprises, and the property owner, Longview Heights Partners, saying they knew or should have known of the dogs' vicious propensities. The dogs had attacked people before.

Our records show there have been at least 11 fatal dog maulings in Tennessee since 2005. Nearly half of these deaths occurred over the 2-year period of 2005 to 2006. In February 2017, two English mastiffs killed a 5-year old boy in Clarksville, another northern Tennessee city. In November 2015, Anthony Riggs, 57-years old, was brutally killed by a rottweiler he had adopted just hours earlier from Jackson-Madison County Rabies Control -- the county animal shelter.

The location where a pack of dogs fatally mauled Bessie "Jill" Peterson in Pall Mall.

Baseline reporting requirements:
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.

Posted on February 22, 2019 by Colleen Lynn

2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Greenville Woman Severely Mauled by Her Own Dogs Dies Hours Later

Nancy Cherryl Burgess-Dismuke, 52, died of "extremely severe" dog bite injuries.

Clarifications
UPDATE 02/28/19: Katora Strickland, the dog mauling victim's niece, goes by Strickland Linda on Facebook. When Fox Carolina interviewed Strickland after Nancy Burgess-Dismuke's horrific mauling death, they flashed a photo showing two pit bulls and a chihuahua lying on and near a bed. The interview also stated that Burgess-Dismuke had seven dogs in her household. But these particular two pit bulls and a chihuahua belong to Strickland. She states this in comments here.

"This is her bed with my dogs laid up with her daily so keep what u may think happen to yourself," [sic] Strickland states. It's unclear if the two lived in the same household. Strickland also clarifies the previous aggression. "This one boxer had been aggressive towards my aunt and attacked her at least 5 times she still wouldn't put dog down or get rid of him he was jealous of other dogs an only god knows why this happened an if pay more attention the kennels where separated." [sic].

According to Strickland, at least one of the boxers involved in the "horror film" mauling had attacked Burgess-Dismuke five times in the past. She refused to put the dog down and continued to play wrestling games with it. News reports state that after the two neighbors got the dogs off her -- by that time, one arm was totally bitten off and the other was "barely hanging on by a piece of meat" -- Burgess-Dismuke, essentially without arms, "threw her body over the fence" to flee.

Whiteside grabbed a blunt ax while roommate William Long grabbed a drive shaft beside a vehicle. They both began beating the dogs to free Burgess- Dismuke.

When they finally got the dogs off of her, and finally got them to go, she threw her body over the fence," Greer said. "She didn’t jump; she threw her body like you never seen before. They were eating her." - Greenville Online, February 22, 2019

02/24/19: Previous Aggression
Fox Carolina interviewed Katora Strickland, the dog mauling victim's niece. On February 21, Nancy Burgess-Dismuke, 52, died after a wrestling game with her two boxer-mix dogs turned into a violent attack. "This is not the first time a dog had attacked her," Strickland said. "She still loved the dog and did not want it to be put down." It's unclear if the previous attack involved either of the attackers. There were five other dogs in her household, and at one time, at least two pit bulls.

In 2018, four people were brutally killed by their own dog(s), which had attacked them in the past, but the owner did not want the dog put down.

Denzel Whiteside, a neighbor who came to Burgess-Dismuke's aid, states, "The other dogs were just standing there watching the whole thing. They would jump in and help every now and then. But the two dogs, they were doing so much damage -- it was unreal." Whiteside also said the boxer-mixes had been aggressive in the past. "I knew this day was going to come. I've lived out here for a couple of months and every day it was something with those dogs," Whiteside said.

Neighbors Whiteside and Amber Greer also told the Greenville Times, "They never trusted Burgess-Dismuke's boxer-mixes and did not believe they were well trained." They would not allow their own small dog to be outside of their mobile home whenever they saw the two boxer-mixes outside. Authorities euthanized both dogs involved in the attack Friday. It is unknown if either were rescue dogs. It is also unknown if the two boxer-mixes lived predominantly in the outdoor pen.

Dispatch Logs

Noticing the discrepancies in the media reports -- police were called to the scene at 1:00 pm or 3:00 pm -- we reviewed the Greenville County Sheriff audio dispatch logs. The call came in just after 1:00 pm. At this early stage, the attackers are described as pit bulls. "What are the details on that? Are the dogs attacking each other or is the neighbor being attacked their own dog?" Dispatch responds, "The neighbor is being attacked by their own dogs. She says it a pit bull."

02/22/19: Dogs Brutally Kill Owner
Greenville, SC – A Greenville woman is dead after being violently attacked by her own two dogs. Nancy Cherryl Burgess-Dismuke, 52, of Yale Street, died about 10:03 pm Thursday. Nine hours earlier, she suffered multiple "extremely severe" dog bite injuries in the front yard of her home, Senior Deputy Coroner Kent Dill said. The dog bite injuries to her upper extremities resulted in a large volume of blood loss, Dill said. Burgess-Dismuke was the owner of both dogs, Dill said.

Two male neighbors heard her cries for help and came to her aid. They found one dog latched onto each of her arms and dragging her body back into her home. "It went from looking like they were really playing to them really eating her alive," said Amber Greer, who first called 911. Neighbor Denzel Whiteside said Burgess-Dismuke would often play wrestle with her dogs. This time, however, the wrestling turned into violent aggression with both dogs mauling her arms.

"She was screaming bloody murder," Greer said. She repeatedly screamed, "Help! Somebody help me. They're attacking me."

The preliminary investigation shows Burgess-Dismuke was wresting with her dogs outside, Greenville County Sheriff's spokesman Lt. Ryan Flood said. A neighbor saw the attack and called 911 about 1:00 pm. Both dogs, described as "boxer-mixes," were confiscated by Greenville County Animal Control and are being held in quarantine. WYFF states in their video report, "We are told we will get a look at the dogs that latched onto their owner, eventually killing her."

Images of a blunt axe and a makeshift dog pen conjure up scenes from a horror film as neighbors William Long and Whiteside describe the attack to Greenville News. "Seeing a person's bones as the dog attacks -- it really gets into your head," Long said. Whiteside, who is a very well-built male, said that not even he could handle the dogs by myself. By the time the dogs let her go, "she was already missing a whole arm," Whiteside said. "Her other hand was already missing" too, he said.

"I heard her screaming. They were already splitting her in half. One dog was on one arm. The other dog was on the other arm." - Denzel Whiteside

Despite being beaten with a blunt axe and a drive shaft, Long and Whiteside said the dogs "never let go," until the police arrived. "I hit him with it a couple of times, he didn't move," Whiteside said. "He never felt it." He finally got one good swing and that dog let go. Whiteside described the attack as "the longest 10 minutes of my life." Arriving deputies applied tourniquets to Burgess-Dismuke's remaining arm. She was transported to Greenville Memorial Hospital where she later died.

FoxCarolina also has two interviews with Burgess-Dismuke's shaken neighbors huddling under umbrellas. Long described her as a very nice neighbor. "If she could give you help, she would."

The outdoor dog pen in victim's front yard, where the attacking dogs were reportedly kept.

blunt axe makeshift pen horror film dog attack

A blunt axe used by a male neighbor in an attempt to beat the dogs off Burgess-Dismuke.

Greenvillle County deputies say these two boxer-mixes attacked and killed Burgess-Dismuke.

Posted on February 18, 2019 by Colleen Lynn

"Found No Evidence for Anything Besides Domestic Dog"

Brenda Hamilton, 77-years old, died after being attacked by an animal in Pantego.

Petition Launched
UPDATE 06/09/19: Family members and friends of Brenda Hamilton began a petition demanding that local authorities release details into her mauling death. On February 15, the Chavez family, awakened by their dogs barking by the road, found Hamilton lying in a ditch submerged up to her shoulders in water. EMS arrived to find Hamilton suffering from catastrophic injuries to both arms, both legs and scalp. She was transported to Vidant Pitt Hospital where she died three days later.

Beaufort County deputies and animal control responded to the attack site. They discovered a freshly killed nutria nearby. A large amount of blood was found on the road, leading investigators to where Hamilton was found in the ditch. The two dogs found near Hamilton were examined about an hour after the attack by deputies and animal control. On the afternoon of the fatal attack, both dogs tested positive for trace amounts of human blood on their paws and in their mouth.

Beaufort County Sheriff's Office | View news release

"The two dogs found near Hamilton were examined about an hour after the attack by Deputies and Animal Control Officers. The dogs displayed no signs of aggression towards Deputies, they were not wet, and there was no visible sign of mud or blood on either dog. Later, on the afternoon of the attack, field tests for blood were performed and both dogs tested positive for trace amounts of human blood on their paws and in their mouth.

[--snip-]

On Sunday, February 17, 2019, 2 days after the attack the 2 dogs found near Hamilton were seized at the request of the Sheriff’s Office by Beaufort County Animal Control and quarantined for observation. Again, the dogs displayed no aggression when they were seized and at no time during their quarantine. The dogs were returned to their owners after 10 days of observation." - Beaufort County Sheriff's Office news release, May 2, 2019

Following the attack, investigators collected 14 DNA samples from canines in the area. Initial test results showed that domestic canine DNA, matching the dogs belonging to the Chavez family, was present on Hamilton's outer jacket and her shoe. The DNA lab also located domestic canine mitochondrial DNA on six other items of evidence: a swab from Hamilton’s ear, a swab from her scalp, the flashlight she had been holding, her hooded sweat shirt, her t-shirt and the dead nutria.

Though it was suspected that the domestic canine mitochondrial DNA came from the same two dogs -- mitochondrial DNA types differ among dog breeds -- a match to a specific dog could not be made. Of the total 33 items sent in for testing, no other findings were made. Those tests may have been affected due to the fact that Hamilton was submerged in water. No evidence gathered from the scene yielded DNA results implicating a coyote or bear. Thus, deputies closed the case.

"The evidence in this case was reviewed by Beaufort County’s Dangerous Dog Committee. An Investigator with the Sheriff’s Office, the dog’s owners and neighbors familiar with the dogs all testified before the committee and after a review of the evidence and testimony, the Committee did not find the dogs to be dangerous.

After the completion of all testing and a review of the scientific and circumstantial evidence in this case, we are unable to make a definitive determination as to what type of canine attacked Brenda Hamilton. While the DNA evidence brings the 2 domestic canines under suspicion, the observations of those 2 canines by Deputies, Animal Control Officers and Investigators tells a different story." - Beaufort County Sheriff's Office news release, May 2, 2019

The "observations" that these dogs "behaved" during quarantine does not lead to any type of scientific or even reasonable conclusion that these two dogs were not involved. On multiple occasions after a fatal pit bull attack, the dog has easily passed a temperament test and on many more occasions -- including after the violent pit bull mauling death of Christine Liquori -- the pit bull was calm at the gruesome scene and remained calm and friendly while kenneled afterward.1

On May 20, The Washington Times spoke to Maureen Hickman, the Western Carolina University scientist who tested the samples. Hickman explained that mitochondrial DNA only contains genetic material from the mother of an animal, thus it cannot be matched to a specific animal, but it can be used to determine the species of the animal. Hickman wished she could have provided more answers, but added that she "found no evidence for anything besides domestic dog."

In June, likely due to the growing pressure of the family's petition, the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners discussed getting a second opinion from a DNA expert. As a first step, Hickman and Pete Benjamin, the North Carolina field supervisor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, agreed to answer questions at a public forum in July. "Everyone wants answers. The family and friends of Brenda Hamilton deserve answers," wrote the editorial board of The Washington Times.

The Petition & Dog Breed

The petition calls out the sheriff's office, "less-than-stellar investigation" and asks, "Why was the investigation so short lived?" Why was no "attack animal" named? "Why were local people not involved (and why were their accounts of investigators not taken into consideration)?" The petition also asks how safe is the community? "Can our kids go out to play"? And, "Is it safe to take a walk?" The petition wants assurance the investigation was conducted "properly" and "ethically."

Not long after Hamilton's horrific death, we were sent information from a local stating that both dogs "under suspicion" are pit bulls. A similar discussion continues today on a North Carolina Hunting and Fishing forum board. As noted by user "Double" on May 23, "No those pits where not cleared. They just never showed aggression per the article. Domestic dog DNA was on the lady; her blood was in their mouth. Sure sounds like a smoking gun if there has ever been one."

While there may never be enough evidence to prove which canines brutally killed Hamilton, there is enough evidence to prove that a wild animal was not involved. Hickman "found no evidence for anything besides domestic dog" in the 33 items sent in for testing. Certainly, the two pit bulls "under suspicion" cannot be ruled out. For these reasons, and after reviewing nearly 500 fatal dog mauling scenarios since 2005, we are including Brenda Hamilton as a dog bite fatality victim.

Canines kill more Americans every year than alligators, bears, big cats, snakes and sharks combined. Review the related Tableau project: US Fatalities from Animal Attacks 2006 - 2016.

An Update on Fatalities Due to Venomous and Nonvenomous Animals in the United States (2008–2015), by Jared A. Forrester, MD et al., Wilderness Environ Med., March 2018.

Abstract An Unusual Case of Predation: Dog Pack or Cougar Attack?, by Gabriel M. Fonseca, DDS, PhD and Rocío Palacios, BSB, PhD, Journal of Forensic Sciences, September 2012.

02/18/19: Woman Dies After Animal Attack
Pantego, NC – A 77-year old school teacher attacked by an animal Friday has died of her injuries, according to a Facebook post by Pungo Christian Academy. Brenda Hamilton, 77, of Pantego, was attacked on Indian Run Road. She suffered severe injuries and was listed in critical condition late Saturday at Vidant Pitt Hospital, according to a news release from the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office. School officials announced earlier today, "Mrs. Hamilton has gained her wings."

On Friday, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office responded to a 911 call about an animal attack on Indian Run Road. Paramedics arrived to find Brenda Hamilton, 77, with severe injuries due to the attack. Sheriff's investigators, along with North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission officers and biologists, responded to the scene to determine the type of animal involved. Preliminary DNA testing has "eliminated any wild animals indigenous to the area," states the news release.

Officials later said the test results could match anything from a wolf or coyote to a domestic dog. They are currently testing dogs in the area.

Pantego is a town of less than 200 people, according to Wikipedia. Several farms are located on Indian Run Road and houses dot nearby Pungo Road. On Sunday, school officials posted to Facebook, "We continue to discover how devastating Mrs. Hamilton's injuries are. Please keep praying for Mrs. Hamilton and her family as they make difficult decisions in the coming days." Hamilton had been teaching at the Academy since 1968, according to the school's website.

Canines kill more Americans every year than alligators, bears, big cats, snakes and sharks combined. Review the related Tableau project: US Fatalities from Animal Attacks 2006 - 2016.

The location of the deadly animal attack on Indian Run Road, near Pungo Road, in Pantego.

1Of the 311 people killed by pit bulls from 2005 to 2018, over half (54%) were family or household members. There are many instances of the dog behaving "like nothing happened" directly after mauling to death a family member. These are just a few examples. After family pit bulls killed 4-year old Kara Hartrich on her 4th birthday in 2014, her mother wrote, "directly following [the attack] they acted as if nothing happened, she hadn’t riled them up ... she was happily playing in the other room, they came after her and pulled her out of my mothers arms to attack, maul, and kill her." After a female family pit bull of eight years, named Kissy Face, killed 2-year old Beau Rutledge in 2013, the dog underwent temperament testing for aggression and the tests came back negative. After a babysitter's two pit bulls attacked her and killed 14-month old Daxton Borchardt in a prolonged 10 or 15 minute attack, an officer pulled into the driveway. One of the two pit bulls approached him, sniffed his hand for a few seconds and trotted off. When that officer turned the corner into the backyard and saw the bloody crime scene, he "shrieked" in horror. In the case of Christine Liquori, the dog was not a family pit bull, but was fairly well known by Dale Mutchler, the shelter volunteer who found Liquori's mutilated body. Mutchler told police that when he put the dog into his kennel after the attack, it did not "react as other dogs would when they understand they have done something wrong."

Posted on February 12, 2019 by Colleen Lynn

2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Owner of Doberman Pinscher Show Dogs Found Dead with Multiple Dog Bite Injuries

Elaine Richman, 66-years old, was discovered dead with multiple dog bite injuries.

Woman Found Dead
Houston, TX - A woman was discovered dead with multiple dog bites at her home last week, police said. On Friday, around 8:00 am, police performed a welfare check at a home in the 12800 block of Susanna Lane. They discovered 66-year old Elaine Richman dead in her backyard with dog bites on her face, arms and hands. Two adult Doberman pinschers were located inside the home, police said. The Houston Fire Department pronounced the woman dead at the scene.

"Her dogs were like her children," her brother Bruce told media outlets. "She spent so many years showing dobermans. They were her life."

Witnesses told police they had not seen Richman at her dog training classes for the last two days. According to a preliminary autopsy report by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, Richman died of "sharp force injuries." The manner of death was ruled accidental. A male and female Doberman, 2 and 4-years old, were confiscated and are being held at BARC, the shelter and adoption center for the city of Houston. The final cause of death remains pending.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Richman had been involved in the Doberman Pinscher Club of Houston and was accused of stealing from the organization. Between Nov. 10, 2011, and May 31, 2012, Richman embezzled $23,250 from the club while she was its treasurer, reports The Chronicle. She was also accused of falsifying financial statements, inflating the amounts of funds available to the club. She was given probation for eight years, set to end in November 2020.

The Chronicle also referred to CDC dog bite fatality data, which is now 20 years old. During the 20-year CDC study period from 1979 to 1998, Doberman pinschers were involved 3.8% of human fatalities (9 of 238 deaths). A modern data set, examining the 13-year period of 2005 through 2017, shows that Dobermans were involved in only 1.4% of human fatalities (6 of 433 deaths). Despite their function as a protection breed, Dobermans are seldom involved in fatalities.

Rare Area of Fatal Dog Maulings

Show dogs and "protection" trained dogs rarely appear in fatal dog maulings. When they do, rottweilers perpetrate the most fatalities, including the deaths of 7-year old Logan Meyer of Wisconsin, 3-month old Dixie Jennings of North Carolina and 3-year old Vanessa Husman of Iowa. In 2011, Donna Conrad, 71, was killed by her Hungarian-imported protection trained Doberman. In 2009, Barbara Chambers, 59, died after being attacked by her Great dane "champion" show dog.

champion dobermans kill owner in Houston

Photographs of the two Dobermans suspected in the dog mauling death of Elaine Richman.

Elaine Richman seen doing agility with one of her Dobermans in an undated photograph.

DogsBite blog ::

2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Elderly Woman Mauled by Pack of Dogs in Pickett County Dies

2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Greenville Woman Severely Mauled by Her Own Dogs Dies Hours Later

2019 Dog Bite Fatality: High School Teacher Dies After Violent Animal Attack in Pantego, North Carolina

"Found No Evidence for Anything Besides Domestic Dog"