Posted on August 3, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Killed by Own Dog that was on Trial for Attacking Neighbor in Livingston County, Michigan

A 68-year old man was found dead after being attacked by his own dog in Tyrone Township.

Dog Kills Owner
Tyrone Township, MI - The body of a 68-year old man was discovered dead behind a residence on Wednesday. Police suspected he was the victim of a fatal animal attack. On August 2, at approximately 11:40 am, Livingston County Animal Control deputies were conducting a follow-up visit at a home in the 8000 block of Faussett Road in Tyrone Township regarding a dangerous dog report. When deputies arrived, they discovered a deceased male behind the residence.

The victim's body was transported to Sparrow Hospital in Lansing for an autopsy. At that time on Wednesday, no other details were released. Today, the Lansing State Journal reports that the dog had recently been involved in an attack on another resident. The animal control deputies had been conducting the follow-up visit to serve the man a court notice about the dog, but instead found him dead in a cattle pasture. The man's dog was actively biting him when the deputies arrived.

The victim has since been identified as 68-year old Patrick Conley Sr.

The dog, described as a "mastiff-mix breed," was dispatched at the scene due to aggressive behavior toward the victim and the deputies. Police attempted medical aid, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The official cause of death remains pending. The identity of the victim, details about the court notice, and details about the prior attack were not initially released. The Hartland Area Fire Department and Livingston County EMS also responded to the scene.

WXYZ reports that the individual who was previously attacked by the dog is the owner's neighbor. That person suffered "extremely serious injuries," which is why the deputies were serving the court order (Notably, the dog was not seized after the first serious attack and taken into quarantine). WXYZ also spoke to William Standish, who lives nearby. He described the dogs as "guardian dogs" for the victim's livestock. Standish said he was "shocked" the man died of a dog attack.

Livingston County Sheriff's Office

Death Investigation - On Wednesday August 2, 2023, at approximately 11:40 a.m. Animal Control Deputies with the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office were conducting follow-up at an address in the 8000 block of Faussett Rd. in Tyrone Township. Animal Control Deputies were at the residence serving the homeowner a court notice issued by the 53rd District Court for a show-cause hearing. The dog at that residence had recently been involved in a dog attack incident where an area resident received extremely serious injuries. The dog was identified as a Mastiff mix breed.

While attempting to make contact at the residence, Animal Control Deputies located the 68-year-old resident who is also the dog owner, in a cattle pasture belonging to that address. It was observed that the dog was actively biting the decedent’s body when Animal Control Deputies located him. The victim who was later pronounced deceased on-scene, had fatal injuries consistent in appearance with a dog attack. Due to the dog’s aggressive behavior toward the victim and responding emergency personnel, the animal was killed on-site so that medical aid could be attempted. Foul play is not suspected. The victim was transported to Sparrow Hospital in Lansing for an autopsy. The official cause and manner of death are pending at this time. Deputies were assisted on-scene by the Hartland Area Fire Department and Livingston County EMS.

This incident remains under investigation by the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau.

Finally, the last time we recorded a fatal dog mauling in Livingston County, Michigan was in 2007 after a pack of American bulldog-mixes killed two people -- it was a double fatal dog mauling that resulted in a criminal trial. Diane Cockrell, 52, of Iosco Township, was ordered to serve a minimum of 3.5 years to a maximum of 15 years in prison for allowing her American bulldogs-mixes to run loose and kill Cheryl Harper, 56, and Edward Gierlach, 91, in rural Iosco Township in 2007.

A 68-year old man was found dead after being attacked by his own dog in Tyrone Township.

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 August 2, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Multiple Pit Bulls Kill Elderly Man in Kau, a District in Southern Hawaii County on the Big Island

Case Investigated Under New Hawaii County Law After Dog Mauling Death

Robert Northrop, 71, was killed by multiple large dogs in Kau, a district in southern Hawaii County.

Multiple Dogs Kill Man
Kau, HI - A man in his 70s is dead after being attacked by multiple dogs in a subdivision in Kau, the southernmost and largest district of Hawaii County on the island of Hawaii. On August 1, at about 9:00 am, Kau police officers were dispatched to the 92-2000 block of Outrigger Drive in the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates subdivision after reports of an animal bite. Officers found a man lying unconscious in the roadway. A witness saw the dogs attacking the man and called 911.

The victim was treated at the scene by emergency responders, but while being transported to Kona Community Hospital, he succumbed to his injuries. He was then transported to Kau Hospital for the official pronouncement of death, states a release by the Hawaii Police Department. "There is currently no evidence that the victim provoked this horrific attack. This incident is a senseless tragedy that could have been avoided," Hawaii Police Chief Ben Moszkowicz said in the release.

The dogs' owners were not home at the time; however, they have been identified and contacted by police. "Investigators are looking into claims that the dogs had previously been reported as stray animals," states the release. The owners have surrendered all four dogs and a litter of 10 puppies to the Hawaii County Animal Control and Protection Agency. "The victim's identity is being withheld until positive identification is made and the next of kin is contacted," states the release.

Police are investigating the attack under the felony dog attack statute that was passed in Hawaii County in 2022. The law was devised after three elderly people, two men and one woman, were viciously attacked by multiple dogs in the Hawaiian Paradise Park subdivision in Puna in 2021. The female victim, 85-yeares old Dolores Oskins, suffered critical injuries and died afterward. Investigators have classified the recent fatal dog attack as a Class B felony under the statute.

"Police are investigating this incident as a Negligent Failure to Control a Dangerous Dog case. Hawai’i County Code section 4-4-32 was most recently revised in 2022 and makes it a felony crime if someone fails to take reasonable measures to prevent an unprovoked dog attack resulting in serious bodily injury or death. Investigators have classified the case as a Class B Felony. If convicted under this section, the dog owners could face up to a $25,000 fine, ten years in prison, restitution, and/or the humane destruction of the dogs involved." - Hawaii Police Department

Vicious dog attacks are more prominent in rural communities, "where erecting fences on large properties is a costly solution, and state regulations prohibit tethering dogs," reports KOHN. Currently, county code allows for the seizure of dangerous dogs after an attack, as well as the felony statute. In response to multiple attacks since 2021, including the death of Oskins, the county ceased contracting out animal control services and created a separate agency.

GoFundMe & Breeds Identified

Late Wednesday, the victim was identified as 71-year old Robert Northrop of Ocean View. His family has set up a GoFundMe that has raised over $6,000. His daughters described him as a man with "more lives than a cat, because he has survived catastrophic surfing accidents, construction accidents, car crashes, motorcycle crashes, and most recently last year -- an electric bike crash into the lava fields in HOVE that hospitalized him at Queen's Medical for 3 weeks."

"It is so tragic for him to finally meet his end in this way, especially as he is a lifelong animal lover and would frequently rescue strays."

Over the weekend, Big Island Now reported that all four adult dogs involved in the deadly attack were pit bulls (three were pit bull "mixes" and the other a purebred "Staffordshire bull terrier"). Those dogs and 10 puppies seized by animal control after the attack have since been euthanized. Also, the dogs' owners admitted to a police officer at the scene that they do not live at the residence were the dogs came from, and the dogs were left unattended on the property.

The owners now may face a felony under the Negligent Failure to Control a Dangerous Dog statue. If charged and convicted, they could face a fine of up to $25,000 or 10 years in prison. The owners left 14 dogs unattended. At least four of the dogs ran off the property and killed a man. “If the dogs had been secured in a fenced area or kennels, this would have been preventable,” said Hawaii County Councilwoman Michelle Galimba, who represents the Ocean View area.

The progress being made by Hawaii County, passing the felony dog attack law in 2022 and creating the Animal Control and Protection Agency, which has been operating since July 1, is substantial. However, the combined population of the districts of Kau and Puna (where Oskins was killed in 2021) is only 65,000-70,000. It's alarming to have two dog bite fatalities in such a small population size in a few year period. Both deaths also involved multiple pit bulls attacking.

dogs kill man in kau, hawaii county, big island

Robert Northrop was killed by a pack of pit bull-mixes in southern Hawaii County on August 1.

The area where Robert “Bob” Northrop, 71, of Ocean View, was killed by multiple large dogs.

Posted on July 30, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Skipperville Man, 27, Killed by Dog Pack; Captured on Surveillance Camera

Demarcus “Sam” McKenzie II, 27, of Skipperville, was killed by a dog pack.

Man Killed by Dogs
Skipperville, AL - What began as a murder investigation on Saturday, turned into a fatal dog mauling, according to Sheriff Mason Bynum of the Dale County Sheriff's Office. Authorities initially thought that that 27-year old Demarcus “Sam” McKenzie II, of Skipperville, died due to a gunshot wound to the head. After obtaining a search warrant, and reviewing outside surveillance footage, however, McKenzie is seen leaving "the residence" when multiple dogs began attacking him.

Ozark-Dale County E911 received a call at approximately 9:15 am Saturday morning of an unresponsive man in the 5500 block of County Road 33 in the Skipperville, Ozark community, Sheriff Bynum said. When deputies arrived, they found McKenzie lying dead in the driveway. His body was turned over to the Dale County Coroner's Office and transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy. Ozark police assisted in the investigation.

"When investigators arrived and began processing the scene it initially appeared that the victim suffered a gunshot wound to his head. As investigators and a crime scene technician processed the victim and collected statements from witnesses there were some inconsistencies and a lack of physical evidence to support those initial thoughts." - Sheriff Mason Bynum, Dale County Sheriff’s Office

The attack began with one dog, then several more joined in, causing McKenzie to trip and fall at the end of his driveway. Up to six dogs are seen violently attacking McKenzie as he struggled to stand. "Late Saturday night, I met with the victim’s mother and family and provided them with our findings," Sheriff Bynum told media outlets. The Dale County Sheriff's Office will consult with the Dale County District Attorney's Office as the investigation progresses, Sheriff Bynum said.

This isn't the first time authorities suspected a homicide via gunshot injuries to the head, which turned out to be a fatal dog attack instead. The two other two victims were also African American men and were killed by the same dogs 2.5 months apart. In that case, in Mississippi, police did not connect the dots that both men discovered in nearby ditches were killed by dogs until after the second victim. That dog owner was eventually found guilty on two counts of manslaughter.

Discrepancies that currently exist include McKenzie's home. Some reports say he was exiting his home when the dogs attacked, and another report states he was "was exiting the residence" where he had been "present inside the home prior to the incident." It's also unknown who owns the dogs involved, and which witnesses provided inconsistent statements. Finally, there was also surveillance footage, which is relatively uncommon, especially for a home in a rural area.

Back in March, close to the 5500 block of County Road 33, a pack of three loose dogs broke into a fenced-in yard and "killed one of our cats, a possum, and my dad's two rabbits," according to Elizabeth Dobbs, who lives in or around Summerville Road, which is southwest of the fatal attack location. She also knows the victim and reposted a post 17 hours ago titled, #Justiceforsam. At that time, Dobbs and other local residents thought McKenzie had been shot and murdered.

Autopsy Results

On August 2, autopsy results confirmed that McKenzie was killed by dogs. The official cause of McKenzie's death of was "sharp force trauma" caused by the dogs, according to Sheriff Bynum. Authorities confiscated ten dogs on the property and euthanized them. "With cooperation from the homeowner, we did get an order from the courts, and the homeowner did consent to us taking possession of the dogs, and those dogs have already been euthanized," Sheriff Bynum said.

dog pack killed multiple animals four months before skipperville man killed by dogs

The loose, attacking dog pack in March includes at least one pit bull and a mixed-breed dog.

Map of Skipperville man killed by dog pack

The area of the fatal dog attack and where a dog pack killed multiple animals in March 2023.

Posted on July 20, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bulls Kill Homeless Man at "Dirt World," a Transient Camp in Central Oregon

Bend Dog Owner Pleads Guilty to Criminally Negligent Homicide

"Dirt World," a transient camp near Bend, where three pit bulls killed a homeless man.

Dog Owner Sentenced
UPDATE 12/29/23: Last week, Jessica Rae "Charity" McCleery, plead guilty to criminally negligent homicide and maintaining a dangerous dog in connection to the dog mauling death of 56-year old Joseph Keeton back in July. On Friday, McCleery was sentenced to an expected 3-year prison term. In exchange for the plea agreement, the second-degree manslaughter charge was dismissed. Had a plea agreement not been reached, an 8-day criminal trial was scheduled to begin on January 9, 2024.

McCleery admitted to leaving her three pit bull-mastiff mix dogs unattended and unleashed on the night of July 19 at the homeless encampment. She did this knowing her dogs had killed other animals and bitten three people so badly that they required hospitalization. One of Keeton's daughters, Kansas, said in a statement, "Our dad suffered far worse than Jessica’s punishment will be, and we feel that it is just." The three dogs involved, "D.J., Littlez and Precious," remain at BrightSide Animal Center.

09/16/23: Multiple Felony Charges
A Bend woman has been indicted on charges of second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, both Class B felonies, in connection to the dog mauling death of 56-year old Joseph Keeton. Jessica Rae "Charity" McCleery, 38-years old, is accused of being reckless and criminally negligent after her three pit bull-mastiff mix dogs attacked Keeton "for a prolonged period of time," killing him, at a homeless encampment in the Juniper Ridge area near Bend on July 19, 2023.

A Deschutes County grand jury returned the indictment Friday morning, and a warrant was issued for McCleery's arrest that afternoon, reports the Bend Bulletin. Her bail has been proposed at $100,000, according to the warrant. As of Friday afternoon, McCleery was not listed in the Deschutes County Jail. Initially, police stated that McCleery could face a lower charge, a Class C felony under Oregon's dangerous dog attack statue. The charges on the indictment, however, are more serious.

07/28/23: Fundraiser for Burial
On Friday, KTVZ reported that family members of Joseph Taylor Keeton started a GoFundMe to help pay expenses for his funeral arrangements. "We will be using the funds to bury him, along with the ashes of his mother, in a very simple pine casket where he can be given back to Mother Earth," the fund organizer states. Keeton was mauled to death by up to three pit bull-mixes at a homeless encampment last week on the outskirts of Bend. So far, the fund has raised just over $10,000.

"In the early hours of July 19, 2023, our father was violently killed in a dog attack in a homeless encampment in Bend, Oregon. The savage nature of his death highlights the vulnerabilities that homeless people face, the inevitable fate of those that society has discarded as hopeless and incurable. What we fail to consider beyond our myopic lens is that these human beings are people, people with stories, families, and depth. Here is Joe Keeton’s story." - GoFundMe.com

The fund proceeds to tell Keeton's story, including that he was "a deeply creative artist, a cinephile, and a spiritual man." Joe was "charismatic, loved animals (the irony is not lost on us), and he could be incredibly empathetic and compassionate," states the fund. "He was also a fox, very good-looking, and almost pursued a modeling career." After struggling with drug abuse at an early age, he began attending church, where he met his future wife. They had three girls together.

In subsequent years, he injured his back and was prescribed Oxycontin. "He naturally became addicted, and within a year or two, he had abandoned his family in search of the relief that only opiates could provide," states the fund. That led to his Methamphetamine use. "He became a bottomless pit of pain for his father and mother, the latter of whom spent countless dollars on rehab centers that Joe weaved in and out of, and which we believe sent her to an early grave."

Despite his circumstances, Keeton was gracious, generous and enthusiastic. He also "held profound conversations and changed the minds of many people about homelessness," states the fund. "He gave people the clothes off his back, and shared what little food he had with others who were also hungry." His daughters describe him as a "problematic teenager, then a devoted father and husband and churchgoer, then a grad student making films, and finally, a wanderer."

They said the vicious dog attack is unforgivable, that he suffered gravely and that he was failed by societal systems. "The fact that our father met his end by the vicious attack of three pit bulls is unforgivable. He was mauled for a prolonged period of time. He suffered greatly. He was failed by so many systems (please take a moment to educate yourselves on the truth about pit bull breeding and ownership, mental illness, and drug addiction), as most homeless people are."

Later today, KTVZ will speak with his children and provide an update on his death investigation. We hope the justice system will not fail Keeton too. However, as followers of DogsBite know, only 20% of fatal dog maulings result in criminal charges. In 2021, after a cane corso breeder's dogs killed two homeless people 3.5 months apart, Cocke County sheriff's officials abandoned the case. The dogs' owner, Charles Owensby, had previously ordered one of his dogs to attack a man too.

07/20/23: Man Killed by Pit Bulls
Bend, OR - On Wednesday, the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Joseph Taylor Keeton, 56-years old of Bend, sustained serious injuries in a dog attack and died. At about 1:15 am, deputies were dispatched to an "unknown problem" in a Juniper Ridge area known as “Dirt World.” Upon arrival, deputies discovered Keeton, who had lost a substantial amount of blood, had been attacked by animals. Deputies applied a tourniquet and began life-saving measures.

Bend Fire arrived at the scene and transported Keeton to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, where he later died. The initial investigation determined that up to three pit bull-mastiff mixes belonging to Jessica Rae "Charity" McCleery, 38-years old of Bend, inflicted the deadly attack. McCleery assisted officers in crating the offending dogs and is cooperating with the investigation. Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office detectives also responded to the scene to assist with the investigation.

Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, Oregon
Male Succumbs to Injuries as a Result of Dog Attack in Transient Camp
Release Date: July 19, 2023
Victim: Joseph Taylor Keeton, 56-year-old male, Bend
Dog Owner: Jessica Rae Charity, 38-year-old female, Bend

On July 19, 2023, at approximately 1:15 am, deputies from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to an unknown problem in the area commonly referred to as “Dirt World”.

Upon arrival deputies discovered a male subject that appeared to have been attacked by an animal or animals. The male, later identified as Joseph Taylor Keeton, had lost a substantial amount of blood, deputies applied a tourniquet and began life saving measures employing CPR, and applying an AED.

Bend Fire/Paramedics arrived and transported Keeton to St. Charles, Bend.

During the course of the initial investigation, it was determined up to three Pitbull/Bull Mastiff mix dogs may have been responsible for the life-threatening injuries sustained by Keeton.

The owner of the three dogs, Jessica Rae Charity, assisted in crating the offending dogs and is cooperating with the investigation.
Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office detectives responded to the scene to assist with the investigation.

Investigators were notified Keeton succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the hospital.

Photographs on Charity's Facebook page show multiple large pit bull-mixes. "Diesel," a male, is seen strengthening it jaws by hanging from a tree in "Dirt World" in 2020. "Confucius," a red nosed female went missing at the same time. "D.J.," a male, is seen in a video in March 2021, which depicts the dog inside of a car ready to attack a "statue" of a deer as Charity drives through the Sugarloaf Mt. Motel parking lot off Highway 97 in Bend. Charity states on the post, "What a statue will do to my dog!"

Authorities said Charity could face a charge of maintaining a dangerous dog (§ 609.098), a charge we have not previously seen used in the state of Oregon. If a dog kills a person under the statute, it is a Class C felony. A "dangerous dog" means, "without provocation and in an aggressive manner inflicts serious physical injury on a person or kills a person," and/or the keeper of a dog "with criminal negligence, fails to prevent the dog from engaging in an act described in subsection (1)."

609.098 Maintaining dangerous dog. (1) As used in this section, “dangerous dog” means a dog that:

(a) Without provocation and in an aggressive manner inflicts serious physical injury, as defined in ORS 161.015, on a person or kills a person;

(b) Acts as a potentially dangerous dog, as defined in ORS 609.035, after having previously committed an act as a potentially dangerous dog that resulted in the keeper being found to have violated ORS 609.095; or

(c) Is used as a weapon in the commission of a crime.

(2) A person commits the crime of maintaining a dangerous dog if the person is the keeper of a dog and the person, with criminal negligence, fails to prevent the dog from engaging in an act described in subsection (1) of this section.

(3) Maintaining a dangerous dog is punishable as described in ORS 609.990. [2005 c.840 §2]

Note: 609.098 was enacted into law by the Legislative Assembly but was not added to or made a part of ORS chapter 609 or any series therein by legislative action. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.

The Bend Bulletin obtained more information about the attack from Deschutes County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Jason Wall. Keeton had been mauled for “a prolonged period of time,” Wall said. “This isn’t the case of five bites or 10 bites,” Wall said. “It’s bad.” The dogs “were not restrained in any way shape or form,” Wall said. “It’s horrible. I’ve been here over 16 years, and I cannot recall a dog attack that resulted in the death of an individual," Sgt. Wall told The Bulletin on Wednesday.

The Bulletin also discusses potential liability the county could face if it creates an authorized camping site in the Juniper Ridge area, or if it continues the status quo. Both scenarios pose "some level of risk and liability," Deschutes County Legal Counsel Dave Doyle said. In California, Sonoma County and Caltrans were recently ordered to pay nearly $1 million in damages to a Santa Rosa woman who was attacked by a serial pit bull biter on Caltrans property near a homeless encampment in 2019.

While a number of fatal dog mauling victims have been people experiencing homelessness, it is less common when these attack occur within an encampment area. Last year, a homeless man was killed by a dog near an encampment in South Austin. In 2019, Lasaro Macedo was killed by multiple pit bulls in a riverbed homeless community in Madera, California. The dogs owner, Heather Anglin, also a transient, was later charged with manslaughter in connection to his dog mauling death.

pit bulls kill homeless man at dirt world

Photographs of three adult pit bull-mixes at "Dirt World," a transient camp, on the dog owner's Facebook page in 2020. From left: Confucius (female), D.J. (male) and Diesel (male).