Tragic incident: Texas woman fatally attacked. Authorities won’t press charges. Learn more about this shocking case.
A Texas woman, in the prime of her life, fell victim to a tragic incident while simply carrying out her duties. Despite the shocking nature of the event, authorities have surprisingly opted not to pursue charges in the case.
Erin McCleskey, a 36-year-old Austin woman and a Certified Process Server for the State of Texas, was tragically killed while attempting to serve court papers in Manor, according to KVUE. Despite having visited the residence twice before, Erin’s fatal mistake occurred when she entered the property of Donald and Terry Swanson.
The Swansons, who were away for a month, alleged that Erin trespassed on their property to serve civil papers. Finding no one home, the Texas woman was viciously attacked by six of the Swansons’ dogs. An autopsy revealed that the dogs severed a major artery in Erin’s arm, resulting in her death after enduring 10-15 agonizing minutes of bleeding out. Subsequently, the medical examiner confirmed the involvement of all six dogs in the attack.
A friend was attending to the Swansons’ dogs during their absence, ensuring they had food and water. Tragically, Erin was fatally attacked in their front yard. Her body was discovered later that day by the temporary caretaker of the dogs. Animal Protection officers were summoned, and six adult dogs involved in the incident were taken into custody. Additionally, authorities found 14 puppies on the premises, which were eventually placed for adoption, as reported by KVUE.
The neighborhood had long been aware of the danger posed by the dogs even before Erin’s tragic death. Gonzalo Grimaldo, who owns a parking lot adjacent to the Swansons’ property, recounted previous incidents where the dogs had escaped and attacked other animals, including his dogs just months earlier. Despite Grimaldo’s call to 911 following one particularly alarming attack, there was allegedly no response from authorities. Teodoro Vences also attested to the dogs’ aggression, stating that they had previously attacked his chickens, as reported by Fox 7.
Neighbor Christi Sparks expressed concern for her children’s safety due to roaming dogs in the area. She refrained from allowing her kids to play outside out of fear of potential attacks. However, Austin city spokeswoman Patricia Fraga stated no official complaints regarding the dogs or the property were on record.
Despite the tragic death of Erin, the owner of the dogs won’t face charges as there’s no evidence of them directing the animals to attack. The incident was deemed an accident. Authorities placed the dogs, including Lab-Pyrenees and Husky-Australian Cattle Dog mixes, under city care pending an evaluation of their potential danger, raising further questions in the case.
The judge’s order for euthanasia was challenged when, over a year after the tragic death of Erin McCleskey, five of the six dogs involved remained at the Austin Animal Center. Eric Torbeson, representing the Swansons, fought to spare their lives. Despite one dog’s demise from heartworms, Torbeson remained steadfast in his mission to advocate for the remaining five.
Expressing his commitment to the dogs’ legal rights, Torbeson stated, “I want the dogs to have due process in court. It’s very sad that a human being died. She chose to trespass on the property.” His dedication was such that he undertook the case pro bono. Meanwhile, footage from the Center portrayed the dogs receiving affectionate treatment, reminiscent of beloved pets rather than animals involved in a fatal incident.
Torbeson advocates for the animals’ return to their owner, yet an animal behavior specialist insists on their euthanasia. James Crosby argues that predicting their potential harm is impossible due to their sentient nature. He emphasizes the risk to people’s safety in such uncertain situations.
Expressing concern for the dogs’ well-being, Torbeson questions the prolonged confinement’s impact. Claire Carter, a former prosecutor in animal cruelty cases, sympathizes but doubts the efficacy of lengthy appeals. She deems the extended ordeal as inhumane yet perceives efforts to prolong their lives as futile.
Carter insists that the state must ensure community safety, advocating for the euthanasia of the dogs. “It’s fairly ridiculous. They have bypassed the procedures in place to expedite this process so that animals didn’t have to suffer unnecessarily,” Carter said.
KVUE disclosed that Austin spends around $39.75 daily per dog. Taxpayers have already footed a bill of approximately $116,000, an amount escalating until trial. This misuse of resources not only disrespects Erin McCleskey’s memory but also neglects other animals and taxpayers in need. Once an animal poses a lethal threat, it forfeits the right to domesticity and should be put down.
