A quiet afternoon turned into a nightmare when 73-year-old Jo Ann Echelbarger was viciously mauled to death by two pit bulls while tending to her garden.
The horrifying incident, which took place in Ashville, Ohio, could have been avoided had earlier warnings been taken seriously.
A Troubling History Ignored
Weeks before the attack, police had responded to an animal complaint at the home of Adam Withers.
Officers found him under the influence of cocaine, frantically chasing his two pit bulls.
Withers admitted to using the drug while the dogs were in the garage with him.
One of the pit bulls was seen struggling to walk properly, raising suspicions that both animals had been exposed to cocaine.
However, authorities did not remove them from the home, despite the clear warning signs.
A Fatal Escape
On October 17, the same two dogs managed to break free again.
This time, they launched a brutal attack on Echelbarger as she was gardening.
The elderly woman suffered horrific injuries, including a broken neck, the loss of her ear, most of her scalp, and her right thumb.
Bite marks covered her body, as revealed in the autopsy report.
The violence didn’t stop there. One of the pit bulls ran off and attacked another woman and her two Goldendoodles.
While the woman and one of her dogs managed to escape, the second Goldendoodle was not as lucky.
Police Take Action
When officers arrived on the scene, one of the pit bulls charged at them, prompting police to open fire.
Both dogs were shot and killed. Body camera footage captured the harrowing moments officers responded to the gruesome scene.
Shockingly, just a day after the fatal attack, Adam Withers posted an image of a pit bull on social media with the caption: “Humans are the problem.”
Legal Consequences and Family’s Fight for Justice
In November, both Adam Withers and his mother, Susan Withers, were indicted on involuntary manslaughter charges.
Last month, a jury found them guilty, but for Echelbarger’s grieving family, the verdict felt insufficient.
Echelbarger’s children have now filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the county dog warden, Adam and Susan Withers, and the condominium association where the tragedy occurred.
Her daughter, Earlene Romine, expressed her devastation, stating, “She did not deserve this. She was tortured and she suffered.”
Her son, Bill Rogers, did not hold back his anger, labeling the Withers family as “villains” responsible for his mother’s death.
Romine also recalled how Adam Withers reacted after the incident—carrying one of the dog’s lifeless bodies around the neighborhood, banging on light posts to attract attention.
Red Flags That Went Unheeded
Echelbarger’s children strongly believe that authorities ignored obvious warning signs leading up to their mother’s death.
The lawsuit references the cocaine incident, with body camera footage showing officers discussing how the “dog warden won’t come.”
Under Ohio law, dog wardens have the authority to seize animals if they suspect inhumane treatment, and the family argues that exposure to drugs should have met this threshold.
Rogers lamented, “I feel like they were gambling with a lot of people’s lives that day, and she was the one who paid the price.”
He described the decision to allow the dogs to remain in the home as “reckless” and “awful.”
Previous Warnings and a Lawsuit for Accountability
The Withers family had a history of negligence with their pets.
In December 2023, the condominium association had ordered them to remove the pit bulls from the property.
When they failed to comply, a court order was issued in April to force their hand.
At the time of Echelbarger’s death, the association was in the process of filing a contempt order against the family.
Attorney Rex Elliot, representing Echelbarger’s family, argues that the association should have taken action much earlier by involving law enforcement to remove the dangerous animals.
The wrongful death lawsuit seeks $25,000 in damages, while Adam and Susan Withers await sentencing for their role in this preventable tragedy.
What Happens Next?
As the legal battle unfolds, Echelbarger’s family is determined to seek justice for their mother.
The lawsuit not only demands accountability but also highlights the failures in the system that allowed these dangerous dogs to remain in the community.
The hope is that this case will serve as a wake-up call, preventing such a tragedy from happening again.