Harrison Township, OH — January 16, 2025 — Susan and Adam Withers, the Ashville dog owners whose dogs were involved in a fatal attack, appeared in court for trial on January 16, 2025. The trial, however, has been continued and rescheduled for February 10, 2025, where they will face a jury trial for charges stemming from the tragic death of 73-year-old JoAnn Echelbarger.
The Withers face charges of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of failure to confine a dog after their two pit bulls, Apollo and Echo, attacked Echelbarger on October 31, 2024, in Harrison Township. Echelbarger was working in her garden when she was mauled by the dogs, which led to her death after she went into cardiac arrest due to the severity of her injuries.
The investigation revealed a history of incidents involving the Withers’ dogs. Since 2015, neighbors in the Reserve at Ashton Village had reported the dogs running loose and causing disturbances. In March 2023, one of the dogs, Echo, bit a person, and in October 2023, Apollo killed another dog. Despite these repeated incidents, the Withers resisted efforts to have the dogs removed, maintaining that the animals had been “provoked.”
In response to the ongoing concerns, the homeowners association (HOA) filed a legal injunction in April 2024, seeking the removal of the dogs. The HOA’s complaint cited over a dozen incidents, including the previous attacks. In September 2024, a Pickaway County Judge ruled in favor of the HOA, ordering the removal of the dogs from the property. Before the order could be executed, the fatal attack occurred.
Following the attack, both dogs were euthanized, and the Withers were arrested and charged. They were initially held on a $500,000 bond, they are still being held at Pickaway County jail.
At their initial court appearance, the Withers pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. The involuntary manslaughter charge is a felony, while the failure to confine charges stem from the repeated incidents of their dogs running uncontrolled. The trial is set to continue with a jury trial on February 10, 2025.
The Withers’ case remains under investigation as the community seeks justice for the fatal attack on Echelbarger.
