Bite pattern of second dog in fatal attack to be checked

Hera

SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNN) -- A judge ordered Friday that dental impressions be taken from a dog to determine whether it took part in the fatal mauling of a woman in the hallway of her apartment building, the court clerk said.

Hera is one of two mastiffs allegedly involved in the attack last January on Diane Whipple, 33. Police ordered the dog put to death but her caretakers, Robert Noel and Marjorie Knoller, appealed, saying that Hera, a female, did not take part in the attack.

The other dog, Bane, a male, was put to death soon after the attack.

Noel and Knoller said they were caring for the mastiffs on behalf of inmates at Pelican Bay Prison.

Judge Lenard Louie also ordered Friday that one of 11 boxes of evidence seized from the cells of two inmates at the prison be turned over to the San Francisco district attorney, said Beverley Heywood, clerk of San Francisco Superior Court. The two inmates are accused of being involved with the caretakers in a scheme to breed and train attack dogs.

Noel

Also to be handed over is a copy of the book "Manstopper," a manual for the training of attack dogs, Heywood said. The book, delivered to the court Wednesday by Knoller, contained handwritten notes by one of the inmates, Dale Bretches. The judge ordered one notation be whited out before the book goes to the district attorney.

Under California law, any person owning or having custody of a dog trained to attack or kill may be held liable if the dog kills a human. The felony charge carries a maximum penalty of four years in state prison.

Noel and Knoller, both attorneys, did not appear for the hearing. Attorney Andy Tursi, who represents Bretches, was denied a request to represent Noel and Knoller, too.

Owner gives account of fatal dog attack
February 2, 2001
Police investigating dog attack death
February 1, 2001

Pelican Bay State Prison
San Francisco Police Department

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.