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An Ohio grandmother was mauled to death by her neighbor’s pit bulls — which were later found to have been high on cocaine, according to a lawsuit.

JoAnn Echelbarger, 73, was “peacefully gardening” in October when she was ripped apart by the pit bulls, Echo and Apollo, freely roaming her Ashton condominium’s common areas, according to court documents.

Her husband, Stanley — who suffers from dementia and was in a wheelchair — watched helplessly as his wife was mauled for several minutes while “screaming for her life,” according to the complaint, which said one dog continued the attack even after cops opened fire to try to stop them.


  Jo Ann Echelbarger was killed by her neighbor’s pit bulls as her husband, Stanley, watched helplessly. Tasha Rogers Jo Ann Echelbarger was killed by her neighbor’s pit bulls as her husband, Stanley, watched helplessly. Tasha Rogers

“She did not deserve this. She was tortured, and she suffered,” Echelbarger’s daughter Earlene Romine told ABC 6. “This is not what you expect your parent to go through. This is not what you expect to happen to anyone you love.”

The dogs both later tested positive for cocaine, according to the court filing.

Their owners, Adam Withers and his mother, Susan, were both convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with Echelbarger’s death last month, court records show.

“How do you not look at them as a villain responsible for killing your mom?” the dead woman’s son, Bill Rogers, told ABC 6.

The family is suing the owners as well as their mother’s condominium association and the county dog warden, accusing them of negligence and failing to act on several red flags about the Witherses and their dogs’ behavior.

That included police body camera footage showing officers responding to reports that Echo and Apollo had ingested Adam Withers’ cocaine just weeks before the horrifying deadly attack, the lawsuit claimed.

Adam and was convicted of involuntary manslaughter over Echelbarger’s death. Pickaway County Jail
Adam’s mother, Susan Withers, was also found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Pickaway County Jail


  Officers had responded to a report that Echo and Apollo had ingested Adam Withers’ cocaine weeks before the attack. Facebook/Adam Withers Officers had responded to a report that Echo and Apollo had ingested Adam Withers’ cocaine weeks before the attack. Facebook/Adam Withers

The officers expressed frustration that the dog warden was unresponsive, according to the filing.

The pit bulls were allowed to live at the condominium even after the Witherses failed to comply with an order to get them out, the lawsuit claims.

Instead, Adam Withers taunted building management, the lawsuit alleged, citing social media posts, including one saying that “humans are the problem.”


  Echelbarger’s family has filed a wrongful death suit against several local authorities for allegedly ignoring red flags. Courtney Hergesheimer/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Echelbarger’s family has filed a wrongful death suit against several local authorities for allegedly ignoring red flags. Courtney Hergesheimer/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Never ask a pitbull owner to choose between you and their pitbulls. Because they will choose, and it won’t be you,” one Facebook post read.

“It’s reckless,” Rogers told the outlet.

“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 said.


  Withers ignored orders to leash and even remove the dogs. Facebook/Adam Withers Withers ignored orders to leash and even remove the dogs. Facebook/Adam Withers

  Winters taunted officials online and posted images like the one above, the lawsuit said Facebook/Adam Withers Winters taunted officials online and posted images like the one above, the lawsuit said Facebook/Adam Withers

The wrongful death suit seeks compensatory damages exceeding $25,000 along with punitive damages.

“We are looking for justice,” said Rex Elliot, the family’s attorney, saying that local authorities “had a responsibility to take … those dogs out of there.”

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