Posted on September 20, 2012 by Colleen Lynn

2012 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Mauled to Death by Rottweilers in Leeds, Alabama

Undated photo of William Donald Thomas and his wife.

Indicted for Manslaughter
UPDATE 12/11/12: Both Jerry Lenton 56, and his wife Jacqueline Lenton, 56, of Leeds turned themselves into local police authorities after a grand jury indicted the couple for manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in connection to the September 20 mauling death of William Donald Thomas. The indictments state that the Lentons "did recklessly cause the death of William Donald Thomas," and "…did with criminal negligence cause the death of another person…"

Separately, St. Clair County District Judge Alan Furr initially ordered the 33 dogs confiscated from the Lenton's property to be put down. He later changed his mind allowing Birmingham-Jefferson County Animal Control to decide the fate of each dog. Of the 33 rottweilers seized, 5 failed temperament testing and were euthanized. The remaining 28 rottweilers and rottweiler-mixes were released to local and out-of-state animal clinics to be adopted back out into the community.

10/02/12: Dogs to Be Put Down
St. Clair County District Judge Alan Furr today ordered the destruction of all 33 rottweilers and rottweiler-mixes seized from the property of Jerry Lenton and his wife after the fatal dog mauling of William Donald Thomas. Gwendolyn Connelly, a prosecutor with the St. Clair County District Attorney's office, asked Judge Furr to order that the dogs be put down. "They were raised in an environment that created basically a murder weapon," Connelly said. Judge Furr agreed.

Leeds police Detective A. R. Holman was the only witness at the hearing. In addition to testifying about the aggressive behavior of the seized dogs, Holman also answered questions about the victim's injuries. "From about the knee area down his jeans were shredded and both legs were shredded down to the bone," Holman said. Thomas also had bite wounds on his right arm. Prosecutors are still determining whether to bring charges or to present the case to a grand jury.

09/21/12: https://archive.is/7q9uC
In a devastating update, the victim's wife, Frances "Sally" Thomas describes where she found her dying husband when she arrived. She said Donald "Don" Thomas was lying in the yard of her neighbor Jerry Lenton and his wife. "The mail was just scattered everywhere and I saw his walking stick and his glasses," she said. She screamed and hollered out for help, but no one in the neighborhood was around. She was forced to leave her severely injured husband to call police.

Jerry Lenton and his wife ran the breeding operation in their backyard. It is unknown if anyone else in the area, including Frances and Donald Thomas, had any idea how many rottweilers the Lentons kept on their property -- 35 including the two that were shot and killed on scene. Frances added that the two dogs that attacked her husband were "smart" and often escaped from the Lenton's property. "They'd know just when (the Lentons) left and they would get out."

09/20/12: Dog Mauling Victim Identified
St. Clair County Coroner Dennis Russell has identified the victim in the most recent U.S. fatal rottweiler attack as 82-year old Donald Thomas.1 Leeds Police Chief Byron Jackson confirmed that Thomas had been checking his mail when the two dogs attacked. The man's wife was unable to fight off the large dogs, which Jackson said weighed over 100 lbs each. Three law enforcement agencies helped remove over two dozen additional rottweilers from the dog owner's home.

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09/20/12: Senior Citizen Killed by Dogs
Leeds, AL - In a developing story, an elderly man was killed by at least two rottweilers in Leeds. The victim had been attempting to get his mail when the dogs came from a neighbor's yard and attacked, according to the WAFF article. A responding officer shot both dogs dead. Officers later discovered 26 other dogs2 -- identified as rottweilers and their mixes -- behind a home on the same street. The dogs' owners are currently answering questions at police headquarters.

View the DogsBite.org Google Map: U.S. Fatal Rottweiler Attacks By State

1One neighbor interviewed said that Thomas was a military veteran that fought in the Korean war. The victim's full name is also being reported as William Donald Thomas, 83-years old.
2Police Chief Byron Jackson refers to it as a "breeding operation" in the Fox6 article and that there were 33 dogs.

Photo: MyFoxAl.com

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Colleen Lynn

2012 Dog Bite Fatality: 10-Month Old Hertford Boy Killed by Family Pit Bull-Mix

James Hudson, 10-months old, was mauled to death by a family pit bull-mix.

Dog Euthanized
UPDATE 09/14/12: The dog that attacked and killed 10-month old James Hudson has been euthanized. Hertford Police Chief Douglas Freeman Jr. told The Virginian-Pilot on Friday that he has concluded an investigation into the boy's death and plans to meet with District Attorney Frank Parrish on Monday to determine whether to press charges. Freeman also added that despite conflicting reports, he and others he has consulted believe the dog was a pit bull-mix.

Hertford Police Chief Douglas Freeman Jr. said Friday that he has concluded an investigation into the incident and plans to meet with District Attorney Frank Parrish on Monday to determine whether to press charges.

The dog, believed to be a pit bull mix, attacked James Hudson just after 6 p.m. in his home on West Railroad Avenue. The family owned the dog. The baby's grandmother Terry Atkinsson was at the home with other children at the time of the attack. - Virginian-Pilot

09/12/12: More Information
WAVY.com reports that Hertford police officers were dispatched to the home on West Railroad Street Tuesday evening after a report of a child not breathing due to an animal bite. 10-month old James Hudson was taken to Albemarle Hospital in Elizabeth City where he later died from his injuries. According to Hertford Police Chief Douglas Freeman, Jr., the initial investigation shows the family's pit bull-mix attacked the child while under the care of the baby's grandmother.

The family dog, named Copper, attacked the baby while he was playing on the bed, according to the child's grandfather who was outside at the time of the incident. He said his wife tried to restrain the dog, but could not. The dog is currently being held at the Tri-County Animal Shelter. Employees at the shelter told WAVY.com that the dog was not a pit bull, but a "labrador-American bulldog mix" -- It is unclear where the original source of the breed mislabeling stems.1

An article from the Virginian-Pilot identifies the grandmother as Terry Atkinsson. The dog had previously bitten an older boy in the home in a separate incident. James Thatch who lives and works in the neighborhood said he knows the family and the dog. No long ago, Thatch was mowing the grass at a house next door when the dog pulled at its leash aggressively trying to get at him. "The woman [the child's mother] was barely able to hold him back," Thatch said.

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09/12/12: Confirmation of Death
WVEC.com confirms that a 10-month old child was attacked and killed by a family pit bull-mix dog while under the care of his grandmother at her home on West Railroad Street. The grandmother was also bitten during the attack trying to save the child. Local and county authorities continue their investigation. Findings of the investigation will be turned over to the Perquimans County Department of Social Services and the District Attorney's office for possible further action.

09/12/12: Child Killed by Dog
Hertford, NC - In a developing story, The Daily Advance, a "walled off" newspaper, reports that a 10-month old boy was killed Tuesday when a pit bull attacked him while under the care of his grandmother. DogsBite.org will be watching for additional new stories, as sending users to this type publication lies outside of our mission of a public education website. Persons with additional information in the Hertford area, please send email to info --at-- dogsbite.org.

View the DogsBite.org Google Map: North Carolina Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.

1Though it seems to be Tri-County Animal Shelter Director Dana Goheen. The Daily Advance reports that Goheen became the director in June of this year.

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Colleen Lynn

2012 Dog Bite Fatality: Jefferson County Woman Attacked by Own Pit Bulls Dies

One of two pet pit bulls that killed their owner, Deborah Wilson-Roberts.

Autopsy Results
UPDATE 09/11/12: Autopsy results confirm that Deborah Wilson-Roberts, 45-years old, died of extreme blood loss. Both pit bulls participated in the attack. Her husband, Brian Roberts, left the home for about 20 minutes to take a shower next door -- the Roberts home has "no running water." He returned to find his wife on the floor with one leg nearly "chewed off." The victim was pronounced dead on the scene. No criminal charges are expected against the husband.

09/10/12: Mother Speaks Out
The victim's mother, Patsy Cannon, told KARK 4 News that she had warned her daughter that pit bulls were not good dogs to have as pets. Cannon even told the reporter she felt the dogs would turn on her daughter one day. "I don't feel like she needed the dogs," Cannon said. She added, "I've heard a lot about [pit bulls] and I didn't particularly care for her having the dogs, but when you get to a certain age what are you gonna do?" Cannon now awaits the final autopsy report.

The victim's mother says she had warned her daughter that pit bulls were not good dogs to have as pets. She even told me she felt the dogs would turn on her daughter one day.

"I don't feel like she needed the dogs," said Patsy Cannon.

Cannon is talking about this pit bull which now sits in a Pine Bluff Animal Control cage. It's believed to have killed Patsy's daughter Debra Wilson-Roberts.

"They were protective of her at one time," said Cannon.

But last Friday night a 9-1-1 call came in with a different story. Deputies say they arrived to this home on NCTR Road and could see Debra's body inside, but couldn't get to her, they say the dogs were hovering over her body. A deputy shot and killed one of the dogs, the other was able to be taken in alive ...

Cannon says she tried to warn her only child about owning pit bulls. "I've heard a lot about them and I didn't particularly care for her having the dogs, but when you get to a certain age what are you gonna do." - Arkansas Matters

09/10/12: Dog Was "Real Playful"
New information suggests that only one of the victim's two pit bulls, named Zeus, attacked and killed Deborah Roberts, according to her husband. Thus, there may be an attempt by him to reclaim the other pit bull that was not shot to death on the scene. A friend of the deceased woman, Marla Glover, said the victim "really loved Zeus," and that the dog would "crawl up in her lap and was real playful." Glover blamed the deadly attack on a storm that blew in Friday night.

09/10/12: Previously Attacked Victim
In a story updated late Sunday night, Major Lafayette Woods Jr. told KATV News, "It was a gruesome scene. There was a substantial amount of blood at the scene, also damage to the body that we believe came as a result of the dogs attacking." Additionally, it was the victim who had been attacked by the dogs before, according to her husband. It was unclear to Woods Jr. how substantial her injuries were at that time, but was told she was taken to the ER.

09/09/12: Woman Dies After Dog Attack
Jefferson County, AR - In a developing story, deputies are investigating the death of a 45-year old woman found dead in her home and believe her own pit bulls are to blame. On Friday evening, Deborah Rene Wilson-Roberts was discovered by her husband lying on the floor with "extremely severe" bite injuries on both legs. Deputies believe the dogs may have severed one of the arteries in her legs causing her to bleed to death. The victim was pronounced dead on the scene.

Deputies tell KARK they were called to a home on US 365 around 11:00 p.m. Friday. Her husband, Brian Roberts, told deputies he had left the home for about 20 minutes1 and when he returned, he found his wife, lying on the floor of their home. He could not get to her, however, because their two pit bulls were acting very viciously and would not allow him entrance. (arkansasmatters.com)

The aggressive pet pit bulls also prevented deputies from reaching the victim. Responding deputies shot one dead; the other pit bull was captured by animal control. The victim's husband was quick to point out to deputies that his wife "had previous health problems." An autopsy will be performed to discover the exact cause of this woman's untimely death. Both pit bulls owned by the Roberts had been known to bite humans in the past. More information is expected soon.

1Another short departure by a husband or male friend, only to arrive back to a woman killed by pit bulls.

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Colleen Lynn

2012 Dog Bite Fatality: Missing Georgia Child Killed by Dog

Fatal dog attack victim Bryton Cason, first responders and his home.

Dog Captured
UPDATE 09/08/12: On Friday afternoon, Seminole County Sheriff's officials located the reddish-blond "bulldog" suspected in killing Bryton Cason. Investigators are now determining what to do next, such as DNA testing or an autopsy to confirm whether it's the dog that mauled the 4-year old boy to death. The boy's father, Shayne Cason told WCTV, "It shouldn't have happened to him. Somebody's going to pay for this. Somebody's going to pay somehow," Cason said.

The sheriff says the boy's mother was in the shower and two other adults home at the time did not see him go outside.

Neighbors believe a reddish-blonde bulldog that was abandoned in the neighborhood may be to blame. Yet the sheriff says no one witnessed the attack or heard it.

"That's been the real issue with the whole thing is nobody witnessed it and so we don't know what dog or dogs are responsible for it," Seminole County Sheriff Heath Elliott said.

[--snip--]

The sheriff says they caught that reddish-blonde bulldog at about 4:30 Friday afternoon. He says investigators are now trying to figure out what to do next, whether it's possible to do any DNA testing or an autopsy to try to confirm whether it's the dog that killed Brayton. - WCTV, September 7, 2012

09/07/12: Family Owned Three Dogs
The family of Brayton Cason told Seminole County Sheriff Heath Elliot which neighborhood dog they believe killed the boy. The family described the animal as a yellowish red bulldog. The dog was previously owned by a neighbor, but was abandoned when he moved away. Cason's family owned three dogs. GBI Investigators determined the family's dogs were not responsible. The crime scene investigators from GBI examined all three dogs, according to Sheriff Elliot.

"Described to me as a yellowish red. Looks to be a bulldog, but possibly mixed with some other breed, but he has more of a bulldog look to him," said Elliot.

The little boy was found dead in his front yard Wednesday night, three hours after he was reported missing.

Elliot says the dog the family described was previously owned by one of their neighbors, but was abandoned at the home when the man moved away. "We're having a problem with the dog issue because there were no witnesses to the incident so we don't know which dog particularly we're looking for."

Elliot says the GBI brought in the dogs owned by Brayton's family. Investigators determined their dogs were not responsible. - WBAL, September 7, 2012

09/06/12: Boy Killed by Dog
Donalsonville, GA - In a developing story that brings back the horrific death of a 4-year old Texas boy, who went missing and was later discovered mauled to death by a chained pit bull, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Agent Steve Turner says missing Brayton Cason,1 4-years old, died of blunt force trauma from a dog attack. Cason was first reported missing Wednesday night by his mother. At 8:30 pm, five law enforcement agencies began a door-to-door search in the area.

Cason's body was discovered just before 11:30 pm in the front yard of his own home.

At the time he went missing, Cason was being watched by his great aunt and uncle while his mother took a shower, according to Cason's aunt, Tabitha Smith. During this ten-minute period, he apparently wandered outside and was attacked by the dog. Smith said that knowing the cause of Cason's death does not bring her family any closure. Police officials are still investigating who the dog might belong to. No one witnessed the attack or the type of dog that killed the boy.

1The child's name is also being reported as Brayton Roland and Bryton Cason.

Photos: Walb.com

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