The mother and son who owned two dogs that consumed cocaine before mauling a 73-year-old woman to death were both sentenced to more than a decade behind bars on Wednesday.
Pickaway County Judge Matt Chafin sentenced Susan Withers, 63, and Adam Withers, 35, to prison for at least 14 years, and up to 19.5 years.
They were convicted in February on charges of involuntary manslaughter, failing to confine or restrain a vicious dog and failing to keep a vicious dog under reasonable control.
The pit bull terriers Apollo and Echo killed Jo Ann Echelbarger while she gardened outside of her Ashville home last October.
Officials say the animals had trace amounts of cocaine in their systems and police had been called to the neighborhood in the past, because the dogs were on the stimulant and had "terrorized" the community.
Echelbarger's family is suing the Withers, Pickaway County dog warden Preston Schumacher, the Reserve at Ashton Village condo association, and the condo’s property manager, Towne Properties Asset Management.
"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," a statement from the family reads.
The family says her death was preventable and they're seeking accountability with the lawsuit.
"But while the criminal case may be closed, the civil case is only beginning. And its purpose is clear: to shine a light on a broader, systemic failure. Jo Ann died in a violent and preventable attack enabled not only by the Witherses, but also by others who saw danger and looked the other way," the statement continues. "In this case, there were numerous calls for help and opportunities to intervene. And yet, key individuals and agencies did not respond as they should have. They recklessly disregarded the obvious risk of harm and failed to carry out their duties to protect the public."
The suit states the dogs injured another woman and killed her dog before they killed Echelbarger.
According to the lawsuit, the condo association first issued a warning to the Withers in Feb. 2015, then went on to issue six additional warnings in May 2017; September 2020; April, May and June 2021; and March 2022. One of the dogs attacked a visitor in Oct. 2023 and the other dog bit a visitor the following May.
