|
Derrick
D. Lee |
71-Year-Old
Woman Mauled To Death While Gardening |
Kansas
City, KS |
July
27, 2006 |
| Derick D. Lee |
1
dog dead, 1 emaciated |
Kansas
City,KS |
June,
2004 |
Original
Case information as written on 7/27/06 - See updates below:
A 71-year
old woman died Thursday, July 27th, after being attacked by a pit
bull in Kansas
City,
KS. Jimmie Mae McConnell was in her garden around 11:30 a.m. when the dog jumped the fence and attacked
her.
Assistant
Fire Chief Craig Duke stated that one of the dogs was still on her when the firefighters
and paramedics arrived. They used an axe and pole this they would normally
use to pull down ceilings. Animal Control Officers tranquilized the dog and
took it away. The second dog (not a pit bull) was taken from the neighbors
home that same afternoon after a search warrant was obtained.
(Photo courtesy of WJACTV6)
Mrs.
McConnell
was taken to the University of Kansas Medical Center
where she was pronounced dead. Neighbors stated that she was so badly injured
that they could hardly recognize her when she was taken from the garden. They
also stated that the dog belonged to a neighbor.
(Photo courtesy of WJACTV6)
Gayle
McConnell,
the victims niece was shocked and angry. She had heard that Pit Bulls can
be dangerous, but that people dont seem to believe it cant happen to them.
She stated she wished people would heed the warning.
Mrs.
McConnell
was well-liked in the neighborhood and had lived in the area a long time.
She was an awesome cook, and singer as well as a school crossing guard for
several years and foster parent for 29 children. Mrs.
McConnell
was the mother of 7 children and the wife of the late
Johnnie
McConnell, a former deacon at
Mount
Zion
Baptist
Church.
Her son Chris stated his mother had been terrified of the neighbors dogs
for over a year. The dogs had acted like they wanted to come through the fence.
As she worked in her garden, they would growl and bark aggressively at her.
It
was reported that this was not the first time that neighbors have had problems
with this neighbors dogs. A representative of the Unified Government of
Wyandotte County stated that Animal Control Officers found two Pit Bulls at
the neighbors home in 2004. Code Enforcement Officers deemed the neighbors
home uninhabitable at that time as there are no utilities hooked up inside.
Police
have not been able to contact the dogs owner. This case is being investigated
as a homicide.
Police
would not confirm that the neighbors dogs were the ones responsible, but
other neighbors and family members stated the dogs were from the house next
door. Police also stated that they are still trying to determine the dogs
breed neighbors believe them to be Pit Bulls.
Pit
Bulls have been banned in Kansas
City,
KS since 1990. Still, 100+ pits or pit mixes
have been picked up in the city this year.
Anyone
with information on this case is asked to call the Criminal Investigations
Division at 913-573-6020 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS
Update
7/28/06:
(photo courtesy of KSHB Local News) Derick D. Lee, age 32 was held on $100,000 bond on one count of involuntary
manslaughter in the mauling death of Mrs. Jimmie May McConnell.
Mrs.
McConnells preliminary autopsy results showed she
died of a cardiac arrhythmia brought on by the trauma of the dog attach according
to Wyandotte County Coroner Alan Hancock. In addition she had extensive bites
on her limbs and torso, but not one of the bites ere such that you could
say one was responsible for her death, Hancock added.
Lee
of 3106 of Longwood Ave, was interviewed on his way into court for possessing
crack cocaine and batter on a la enforcement officer, stated he had lived
at the house where the dogs were found but hadnt been staying there for 3
months. He would return to feed one of ht4e dogs and the other dog the
one involved in the attack was a stray that would come up and steal food.
Lee claims
he didnt know who owned the dog and thought it lived in a nearby creek.
(photo courtesy of Chris Oberholtz, the Kansas City Star)
Lee was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal pit
bull attack that left Mrs. McConnell dead.
Mayor
Joe Reardon has issued a crack down on pit bulls after
this deadly attack. The city has opened a hotline to report illegal pit bulls
at 913-573-8911. There is also a 2 week amnesty period for pit bull owners
to turn in the banned dogs. Reardon also stated that since January, 2005,
more than 600 dogs that violated the citys pit bull ban had been seized and
164 citations were issued to people identified as the dogs
owners.
Update
8/3/06:
The
pit bull hotline has received 76 phone calls, 41 pertaining to pit bull problems.
36 pits had been picked and 19 had been voluntarily dropped off according
to the Kansas City Police Department.
(photo courtesy of Garvey Scott, the Kansas City Star) A
crowd of pit bull supporters urged a The Neighborhood Development & Housing
Committee not to impose breed-specific restrictions as some attack victims
asked for a crackdown.
KCK animal control recommended an ordinance
requiring mandatory neutering and microchipping
of pit bulls. City Councilman Alvin Brooks recommended even tougher legislation that
would label pit bulls dangerous dogs, which would impose extra dog enclosure
and insurance requirements. The committee will take additional testimony
at its next meeting on August 16th at City Hall. They did not
make a decision but did endorse a measure that calls on the city manger to
add an additional $350,000 to animal control efforts this year.
Reference:
Kansas City Star
Seattle Post Intelligence
WJACTV
KSHB
local news
The
Associated Press
The
Kansas City Police Department