Owner gives account of fatal dog attack
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One of the dogs, 110-pound Hera is being held in isolation. A second dog, Bane, was put to death after the fatal attack on Diane Whipple
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From staff and wire reports
SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNN) -- The owner of two dogs involved in the attack that killed a woman in the hallway outside of her apartment said the dogs never showed any indications that they were violent.
In a news conference outside the Pelican Bay State Prison on Friday, Robert Noel said he and his wife, Marjorie Knoller, should not be held criminally responsible for the attack.
Knoller was walking the couple's 120-pound Mastiff-Canary Island dog mix Bane, and another dog January 26 when they attacked Diane Whipple, a lacrosse coach at Saint Mary's College.
Prosecutors are trying to determine whether the dogs had been trained to fight or attack, and whether the couple knew they were dangerous. The couple could face manslaughter charges under a state law regarding dogs trained to fight, attack or kill.
Noel said that Knoller lost control of Bane and that Whipple did little to escape the attack and stood in the hallway "just watching" as the dog broke free.
"It took approximately a minute for Bane to overcome Ms. Knoller's efforts to control him, with Ms. Whipple watching the whole time from a distance of 50 feet," he said.
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In an 18-page statement released earlier this week, Noel said his wife tried repeatedly to get between Whipple and the dog, and suffered extensive injuries as a result. He said that his wife even tried to force Whipple back through the open door of her apartment but that the victim kept crawling back out.
Noel said Knoller tried to shield Whipple with her body to protect her from the dog, but said Whipple resisted and punched her in the eye.
Knoller, however, contradicted her husband's remarks in her statement to police. She said Whipple instead tried "desperately" to enter the apartment and get away from the dog, but could not.
"Each time the victim tried to move toward her apartment, the dog renewed its attack," the police statement reads.
Perfume could have triggered attack, owner says
Noel also explained a letter he wrote to prosecutors that suggested that the attack may have been triggered because Whipple could have been wearing a pheromone-based perfume or might have been a steroid user.
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Noel, owner of the dogs, claims that his wife was trying to protect Whipple from the dogs
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"I was contacted by an investigator who works dog cases, and I was also contacted by a professional animal trainer, who made the suggestion that those two things should be looked at from a forensics standpoint to see if that was a possibility," Noel said.
"My suggestion ... that a check be made for that was simply to make sure that that base was covered. It was not to suggest in any way that Ms. Whipple was improperly using steroids, or had in fact used any such perfume."
San Francisco Police rejected the suggestion.
"I wear after-shave lotion. I'm sure most women wear perfumes," said Lt. Henry Hunter. "Just because we wear after-shave lotion or perfume, does that mean we should be eaten by a dog?"
"It's grabbing at straws," added District Attorney Terence Hallinan. "We have evidence that these were aggressive, dangerous dogs from the get-go."
Investigators say the dogs were trained as attack dogs by inmates at Pelican Bay State Prison, who allegedly ran an illegal attack-dog ring for drug dealers.
Noel has since adopted one of the inmates, 38-year-old Paul John Schneider.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
RELATED STORIES:
Police investigating dog attack death
February 1, 2001
RELATED SITES:
Pelican Bay State Prison
San Francisco Police Department
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