A criminal investigation has been opened after three dogs were found dead at the travel trailer where Jodi Cowan was fatally mauled by dogs on May 19. Deputies responded to a call on June 11 about a bad smell at the residence, according to Tod Goodyear, public information officer of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. The case is ongoing, awaiting an examination of the dogs to determine the cause of death. Charges would depend on the outcome of the necropsies and the cause of death. The residence was under the control of Cowan’s boyfriend.
Linda Cutler, the owner of the dogs that allegedly killed Cowan, has been charged with manslaughter and is held without bond in the Brevard County Jail. Court records reveal that the year-old littermates involved in the attack had previously shown aggression toward their owner and had attacked others. Cowan, 50, was fatally wounded while walking her own small dog on the street. That dog was not one of the dogs found dead at her residence, Goodyear said.
On the night of the attack, Cowan’s partner of 30 years heard her cries for help outside their home. He sprinted through the dark to save her, wielding a knife at the still-attacking dogs while frantically calling 911 and trying to stop the bleeding from Cowan’s neck. The dogs snarled and snapped as Smith begged for help during the eight-minute call.