Case 4

A 6-year-old black female child was walking to school in an alley adjacent to her backyard. The family was in the process of moving to a nearby neighborhood and the 2 family pitbulls had just been set free after being locked up in the basement before the incident. The child grew up with these 2 pitbull dogs. Both dogs, who were roaming loose in the backyard, attacked the child in the alley and dragged her into the backyard of the dwelling. The child’s pantyhose and skirt were pulled down below the knees. The mother of the child attempted to pull the dogs off of her daughter and called her husband for assistance. The police arrived and shot the dogs. The child was accidentally shot by police gunfire in the back of the knee. Autopsy examination revealed numerous lacerations, puncture wounds, and avulsions to the face and neck, 67 in total. Brush burn abrasions consistent with drag marks were also present. Neck dissection disclosed complete transection of the left common carotid artery. In addition, there were multiple skull and facial fractures with evidence of blood aspiration in the lungs. Multiple fragments of skull bone were absent and/or separately received with the body, including the left orbit and the left maxilla. A superficial gunshot entrance wound involving soft tissue was also demonstrated on the back of the right knee and a bullet was recovered from the wound track. Toxicology was negative (Figs. 4A and 4B—ref. case 3365-05—images 5 and 15).
The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology • Volume 28, Number 4, December 2007 Pitbull Mauling Deaths