Tennessee: Killer dogs' owner may not face charges

Even though he let his vicious dogs roam free, the owner has no responsibility??

The owner of two Franklin County dogs accused of killing a local woman Saturday may face no criminal prosecution because of weak state laws, authorities said. The charge of allowing dogs to run at large, off their leashes, "may be the worst thing that could be charged" in the death of Dianna Acklen, 60, Sheriff Mike Foster said. "The DA will have to make that call. If I had to guess, I don't think any criminal charges will be filed," the sheriff said. His comments came Tuesday, the same day Acklen was eulogized and buried. "There could be some responsibility by the owners if the dogs had a history of violence, but as far as specific charges, it's hard to say at this time. It could be criminal, or it could just be a civil matter. We'll have to wait on the evidence to be looked at and analyzed,'' Assistant District Attorney General Bill Copeland added.

Although Acklen's family said she had complained twice about the dogs' behavior to the owner, identified by authorities as Ronnie Swann of 2982 Knights Church Road, the sheriff's office said no one had ever made an official complaint. The woman, who was well-known as a longtime county library employee and a citizen active in many pursuits, was near the end of the daily route she had traveled on foot hundreds of times since she began walking for exercise about two years ago.

Authorities are unsure whether she was attacked in the road and fled to the house for safety, or if she entered the yard to make another complaint with the owners, who were out of town at the time. Her lifeless body was reported to authorities at 5:23 p.m. Meanwhile, another element in the tragedy came to light Tuesday when authorities said a third dog may have been involved in the death of Acklen, 60. "In fact, that's a good question to be asking - was there another dog there? How do we know there wasn't another dog there and that dog was the primary aggressor?'' the sheriff said.

Emergency workers told James Henry "Bub" Wilkinson, Franklin County rabies control officer, there was a large dog, perhaps a Great Pyrenees, across from the Swann home on the evening of the attack. "I was told he had blood on him,'' Wilkinson said. The chocolate Labrador retriever and its mixed-breed companion are being held together in a cage segregated from other dogs in the small county-run dog pound. The dogs wagged their tails at Wilkinson's presence and offered no sign of aggression. "Sometimes you just can't tell,'' Wilkinson said.

The county animal officer said investigators would return soon to make impressions of the animal's teeth so they can be compared with Acklen's bite wounds. "Eventually, they will be put down. I'm licensed to handle that,'' he said. Meanwhile, as the animals acted friendly, oblivious to the harm they are suspected of causing, family and friends gathered Tuesday afternoon at Moore-Cortner Funeral Home in Winchester to say goodbye. "She was one of the finest people to walk on the face of the earth. I couldn't say enough good things about her,'' said Leon Williams, a former pastor at Acklen's church, Elk River Baptist Church.

More here



(And don't forget your ration of Wicked Thoughts for today)