A mother and son received prison sentences for involuntary manslaughter after their dogs killed a woman.
ASHVILLE, Ohio — A mother and her son were sentenced to at least 14 years in prison Wednesday after a 73-year-old woman was killed by their dogs last year.
Susan and Adam Withers were each found guilty in February of several charges related to the death of Jo Echelbarger.
They were sentenced to 11 to 16.5 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter, 18 months for confining and restraining dogs and 18 months for failure to keep vicious dogs under reasonable control, according to Pickaway County Prosecutor Jayme Fountain.
On Oct. 17, Echelbarger was working in her flower beds in front of her home on Kildow Court in Ashville when she was attacked by two dogs.
Echelbarger suffered serious injuries from the attack and went into cardiac arrest on the way to Grant Medical Center. She was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital.
When police arrived at the scene of the attack, an officer fatally shot one of the dogs after it became aggressive toward him, according to Pickaway County Prosecutor Judy Wolford.
The other dog ran away and later attacked and killed a dog near Teays Valley East Middle School.
That dog returned to Kildow Court where it was also killed.
“Today’s sentencing of Adam and Susan Withers brings a measure of justice to the Echelbarger family. For months, they grieved the loss of Jo Ann while hoping the criminal justice system would hold the Withers accountable for their role in this horrific tragedy. That accountability came today, and the family is grateful,” law firm Cooper Elliot said in a statement on behalf of the Echelbarger family.
The family has filed a 25-page lawsuit, saying that her death was entirely preventable.
Immediately after the attack, 10TV found that the dogs involved had a history of violence but were never taken away. Several cases against their owners were dropped in municipal court.
The lawsuit claims the county dog warden Preston Schumacher and the condo association are partly to blame for their failure to remove the dogs after prior incidents of violence.
Newark Rep. Kevin Miller said he intends to introduce legislation strengthening laws targeting dangerous dogs and their owners.
Echelbarger’s children hope their mother’s death will be what prevents someone else from being hurt.
“My mom lost her life. It needs to mean something. Something good has to come of that and what that is is change,” said Echelbarger’s daughter Earline Romine.
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