A Florida woman is behind bars and charged with manslaughter, after her dogs fatally mauled a neighbor on May 19.
Jodi Cowan, 50, of Sharpes, was on a walk with her dog on Blue Bonnett Drive when she was captured on another neighbor’s home security camera in the early morning hours of May 19, holding her small dog as Linda Renee Cutler’s two barking dogs ran toward her.
The dogs attacked Cowan, causing devastating neck injuries and severe blood loss. She reportedly died at the hospital nearly four hours later.
Authorities said Cutler, 29, had a history of not keeping her dogs in her yard and the mixed-breed canines had previously been aggressive toward other area residents.
Cutler was charged with one count of manslaughter in Cowan’s death. She was arrested May 27 after deputies responded to unrelated reports of a disturbance at a beachside hotel.
Here’s what we know so far:
Florida woman attacked, killed by neighbor’s dogs
A home security camera owned by one of the neighbors captured the attack, with Cowan clutching a small dog and screaming, “No,” as the barking dogs raced up toward her. Cowan’s partner, Donnell Smith, heard the cries and ran out with a knife to chase the dogs away.
The dogs violently pounced on Cowan, ripping away at her throat and causing severe injuries before she was rushed to Holmes Regional Medical Center’s trauma unit. Cowan was pronounced dead after losing copious amounts of blood, family members and investigators reported.
According to a 911 dispatch, at one point, Cowan said, “I’m dying, can’t breathe,” moments after the attack.
Dogs that fatally mauled Florida woman had bite history, were ‘always on the loose’
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said Cutler’s dogs, secured and taken by authorities the morning of the attack, had previously bitten a neighbor and were known to the sheriff’s Animal Services Unit. That neighbor, however, did not cooperate or return repeated calls from the sheriff’s office.
Neighbors called multiple times to complain about the dogs, Ivey said, and calls about dogs at Cutler’s residence date back to 2024, but not all involved the animals that fatally attacked Cowan.
“They were always on the loose,” said Dominica Midkiff, a neighbor who lived near Cutler.
The dogs, named Max and Maco, remain in quarantine and are expected to be euthanized after a mandated 10-day waiting period.
Linda Cutler charged with manslaughter in fatal dog mauling has court hearing
Cutler had her first court appearance May 29 at the Brevard County Jail, where Judge David Koenig set a $250,000 bond for the manslaughter charge. She was also ordered not to have any contact with the family of the victim, Jodi Cowan, or attempt to own any animal.
Cutler declined the offer of a public defender.
While granted bond in the manslaughter case, Cutler was ordered held without bond on two pending, unrelated drug possession and grand theft charges.
Brevard County Sheriff speaks on fatal dog mauling, arrest
Sheriff Wayne Ivey called Cowan’s death “tragic and untimely” in a May 27 Facebook video.
“Once again they had gotten out of their yard and were roaming the neighborhood,” Ivey said.
“They began to brutally attack and maul Cowan, forcing her to the ground, viciously attacking her and eventually dragging her across the ground for quite some distance.”
After Cutler’s arrest, Ivey walked her into the jail as she asked him, “OK, um, what is the purpose of that?”
Ivey, looking at Cutler, said, “A woman is dead and two dogs are about to be euthanized because of your uselessness.”
Where is Sharpes, Florida?
Sharpes is an unincorporated community along the Indian River in Brevard County, Florida. It’s situated just north of Cocoa and about a 15-mile drive north of Port Canaveral.
Florida dangerous dog law
Florida’s dangerous dog law defines aggressive dogs, requires strict confinement, and holds owners liable, with penalties for attacks or violations.
According to Florida Statutes, a dog can be labeled “dangerous” if it:
A dog cannot be classified as dangerous if:
How dogs are classified as dangerous:
Dogs involved in serious bites or deaths may be taken and held immediately or, in some cases, kept confined by the owner. The dog cannot be moved or sold during the investigation and the owner may have to pay boarding and care costs.
If the law is violated:
J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. X, formerly known as Twitter:@JDGallop.
Kim Luciani is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s Audience team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida woman charged with manslaughter after her dogs kill neighbor
Reporting by Kim Luciani and J.D. Gallop, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
