ASHVILLE, Ohio (WSYX) — The death of 73-year-old Jo Ann Echelbarger has brought to light previous incidents about the dogs involved in the fatal attack. A Pickaway County judge had ordered the removal of the dogs in early September, but the order was not enforced before the deadly incident on October 17.
Kenzie Jones, a former resident of Kidlow Court, said the dogs had been causing chaos in the neighborhood long before the attack.
“I would switch my schedule with my dog constantly, and every single time I would take my dog for a walk, they’d be out with their dogs, and their dogs would be pulling them just to get to me and my dogs,” Jones said.
Jones moved out in March 2023, but her mother, Kimberlee Black, returned to live in the condo. In October 2023, Black was attacked by the same dogs that investigators say killed Echelbarger.
During a previous attack, Jones said the dogs injured her mother and killed her dog, Nemo.
“I answered the phone, and she immediately was screaming. I couldn’t understand what she was saying. I heard ‘the dogs,’ I heard ‘Nemo,’ and I knew as soon as she said that, I knew those dogs got a hold of Nemo,” Jones said.
Black has filed a lawsuit against the dog owners, Susan and Adam Withers. Her attorney, Jami Oliver, said the case was filed in September and is in the early stages. Adam Withers responded to the allegations, saying, “I was not involved.”
Following the recent attack on October 17, Adam and Susan Withers have been charged with involuntary manslaughter and failure to restrain a vicious dog.
“We’re scared to come out and get our mail even because he’s threatened everybody,” a neighbor said. “I babysit a lot, and we like to walk around the pond and look at the ducks, and we can’t even do that.”
Jones said her mother had been outspoken about the dangers of the dogs.
“It seems like no one would take her seriously up until now, which is really unfortunate because she’s been a really huge advocate for getting these dogs removed for trying to prevent something like this from happening,” Jones said.
Court documents say that the Pickaway County judge ordered the dogs’ removal due to a civil lawsuit filed by the condo association. However, the lawyer for the condo association warned in early October that the owners would not comply.
Jones emphasized her mom didn’t want these dogs on the streets following her attack, saying, “We told the dog warden the day that it happened if something isn’t done about these dogs, somebody is going to die. This is a retirement community; these people are in their 60s and 70s. They cannot defend themselves against a dog like this. My mom was in her 60s, and the only reason she survived was because her puppy ran across the street and was able to distract the dogs from her.”
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