An Ohio mother and son, Susan and Adam Withers, were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter on February 13, 2025. Back in October 2024, their two pit bulls escaped from their condo. They brutally mauled 73-year-old Jo Ann Echelbarger, their neighbor, to death. Reportedly, the Withers received numerous warnings about their dogs, which went unheard.
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On October 17, 2024, Echelbarger was working in her garden. All of a sudden, the Withers' pit bulls brutally attacked her, according to PEOPLE. Responding police officers arrived and fatally shot one of the dogs who displayed aggression. The other pit bull would kill another dog in the neighborhood, but would also be killed by one of the officers after it came back to the house.
According to The Colombus Dispatch, this is not the first time the dogs acted aggressively. Reportedly, back in 2023, one of the pit bulls was declared dangerous after, similarly to what happened in 2024, it killed one neighbor's dog.
Moreover, according to an Echelbarger family statement released following the Withers' conviction, neighbors had been warning about the pit bulls for years. However, according to the statement shared with WSYX, both the HOA and the dog warden ignored these concerns. Adam Withers even pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct over erratic behavior with the dogs just weeks before Echelbarger died.
"The failure to intervene cost Jo Ann Echelbarger her life," the statement reads. "We demand accountability beyond this courtroom to prevent another senseless loss."
Convicted
Months after her violent death, Susan and Adam Withers were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter after six hours of deliberation. Echelbarger's family embraced as the judge read the verdict. Their sentencing will take place at a later date, according to WSYX. No evidence that the dogs were released by the Withers was provided.
"My office is hopeful that these convictions will allow the family of Jo Ann Echelbarger to find some peace," Pickaway County Prosecutor Jayme Hartley Fountain told PEOPLE in a statement. "We are very thankful for the work law enforcement put into this case to aid our office in obtaining the convictions."
In her obituary, Jo Ann Echelbarger is described as a loving woman who always supported her family.
"Jo Ann loved to keep mementos of her family's achievements, was proud of their academics/awards and always supported her children's sports activities and anything they were involved in," the obituary reads. "She enjoyed cake decorating and her favorite holiday was Thanksgiving."
