PICKAWAY COUNTY, Ohio — A mother and her son were sentenced to at least 14 years in prison Wednesday after their dogs killed a 73-year-old woman 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 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.
The attack occurred Oct. 17 when Echelbarger was working in her flower beds outside her home on Kildow Court in Ashville. She suffered severe injuries and went into cardiac arrest en route to Grant Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Police responding to the scene fatally shot one of the dogs after it became aggressive toward an officer, Fountain said. The second dog fled, later killed another dog near Teays Valley East Middle School, and was subsequently killed upon returning to Kildow Court.
“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 claiming Echelbarger’s death was preventable, alleging the county dog warden and the condo association failed to act despite the dogs’ prior violent incidents.
Newark Rep. Kevin Miller said he plans to introduce legislation to strengthen laws targeting dangerous dogs and their owners.