At a Glance
- Jurisdiction
- Goochland County, Virginia
- Date
- 2017-12-14
- Status
- Resolved
Bethany Lynn Stephens, 22, was killed on Dec. 14, 2017, by her two pit bulls while walking them in a wooded area near her home in Goochland, Virginia. The Washington Post reported the case after the Goochland County medical examiner determined that Stephens was killed after her two pit bulls mauled her during a walk. The findings prompted a law enforcement investigation that drew national scrutiny and public debate over the medical examiner's conclusions [1].
On Dec. 13, 2017, Stephens left her father's home at about 3:45 p.m. to take her two male pit bulls, Tonka and Pacman, for a walk. Her father called 911 at about 8:18 p.m. when he went looking for her in an area of Goochland where she often walked her dogs, and he told the sheriff's office the dogs appeared to be "guarding" her body. Investigators in Goochland, a rural community about 30 miles outside of Richmond, described Stephens as a petite, 5-foot-1 woman who weighed a little more than 100 pounds, mauled by dogs with a combined weight of about twice hers. [1][2]
According to the medical examiner's office, Stephens had defensive wounds on her hands and arms, indicating she was alive when attacked. Investigators said she was first attacked on her throat and face, was taken to the ground, lost consciousness, and the dogs then mauled her to death. There were no strangulation marks, but there were puncture wounds to the skull consistent with animal bites. Toxicology results were negative for ethanol and drugs of abuse, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines. [2][3]
Tonka and Pacman were brindled pit bull brothers from the same litter, about two and a half years old at the time, and had been socialized, indoor dogs whose owner was said to treat them like her own children. In the period before the attack, the dogs had transitioned from inside dogs to living outside in a kennel at the father's home; Stephens had left them there, and friends said he was not consistently caring for them. The weather had changed, the dogs lived in the cold, were not fed daily, and became increasingly isolated. Goochland County Sheriff James Agnew characterized the scene as "an absolutely grisly mauling." [2][3]
The Virginia state medical examiner concluded that Stephens died from "trauma due to mauling by animals," and the Goochland County Sheriff's Office closed its investigation in February 2018 in light of the autopsy results. A summary of the death investigation, which included reports from the Medical Examiner's Office, the Division of Forensic Science, and the Virginia Department of Agriculture labs, concluded that Stephens' death was not a homicide. The two American pit bull terrier brothers were euthanized as a safety precaution to the community, with the family's consent. Sheriff Jim Agnew released a seven-page report detailing the investigation's findings and stated the case would remain closed unless "somebody steps forward with some really strong evidence." [3][4]
References
[1] The Washington Post. (2017, December 20). Two dogs in rural Virginia mauled their owner to death, authorities say. But why? https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2017/12/20/two-dogs-in-rural-virginia-mauled-their-owner-to-death-authorities-say-but-why/
[2] WTVR CBS 6. (2017, December 18). Mauled by dogs: Sheriff offers gruesome details hoping to end speculation. https://www.wtvr.com/2017/12/18/press-conference-on-mauling-by-dogs
[3] WTVR CBS 6. (2018, February 20). Report stops short of direct conclusion that dogs killed Bethany Stephens. https://www.wtvr.com/2018/02/20/report-concludes-bethany-stephens-died-from-violent-attack-by-dogs-3
[4] Roanoke Times. (2018, February 20). Autopsy confirms Goochland woman was mauled to death by her dogs; sheriff closes investigation. https://roanoke.com/news/crime/autopsy-confirms-goochland-woman-was-mauled-to-death-by-her/article_49971800-a4b5-5eb9-9a4f-29e8d479cb1f.html