Earlier this week, a story broke about a woman, 24 year old Kelli Chapman, had been attacked and killed by her "two pet pit bulls" in her home in Longville, LA. Her husband, Jason Chapman, reported found his wife dead on the bedroom floor.
Reports were that the dogs (a 4 year old male and a 1 year old female) were like family to the couple. "The couple had the dogs since they were pups. They raised them. The dogs slept with them. They were part of the family," said one family member. Kelli's arms were fairly badly bruised and it looked like she was involved in some sort of struggle.
This story got picked up in several news outlets (pretty much as it ran in the story above). The implied note here is that these "family dogs" just snapped and killed their unsuspecting owner.
The story then caused the media to create a lot of controversy regarding the "breed" of dog involved in the case, and whether or not they should be banned. Some areas even ran stories on why even trained pit bulls can suddenly attack. (If you want a good breakdown on this story, check out Caveat's interpretation here.) KLTV in Tyler, TX even got a quote from the Tyler animal Control officer Shawn Markmann talking about the mythical 2000 pounds per square inch bite pressure that someone threw out in an a news article 15 years ago and still perpetuates today in spite of no scientific evidence that even remotely supports this "stat".
Meanwhile, one news source actually did a little digging on the attack (I've yet to find this having run any any other place, which is pretty telling that the media prefers a good story vs the actual truth).
Turns out that in October 2006, the area narcotics task force and SWAT team raided the Chapman's home and arrested the couple for having methamphetamines and other drug items. During that raid, one of the couple's dogs attacked an officer and was shot and killed (which explains why one of their dogs is about a year old). Meanwhile, apparently Kelli also was prone to having seizures and it appears likely that she had a seizure and the dogs may have freaked out during the seizure and bitten her. The bruises on the arms are likely from her flailing during the seizure.
So does that change the story? While tragic that the woman is dead, the story has now turned from happy young couple who's 'pit bulls' just snapped and turned on their owner where the woman died in a heavy struggle, to a story about a woman with a history of meth usage that had a seizure and the dogs freaked out during the seizure and fatally bit her.
The story looks completely different now. And yet the debate goes on.
Brent.....please.....are you not doing what the media is always doing with this seizure stuff....I expected a little more, from you....but I will let it slide.
Meanwhile, apparently Kelli also was prone to having seizures and it appears likely that she had a seizure and the dogs may have freaked out during the seizure and bitten her.
There is no proof that any of the above happened. It could have, but at this point it is just a theory....
Also this goes to my eariler points on who can own a pit bull. Anyone with a crimial background should not be able to own this type of dog.
Also two other dogs are on Death Row right now for attacks...One named Rambo and the other named Titan...
Might as well name them Adolph and Bone Crusher.....
Posted by: Doug | January 25, 2008 at 01:11 PM
Doug, you might want to double check your story on Rambo. Rambo's only crime was that he looks like a 'pit bull'. No bite. No attack. Just got loose.
Maybe I drew a few conclusions...however, from an animal behavior basis, it is a much more rational conclusion than the dog just snapping. I'll also note that I read at least one article on this where Kelli was actually found in the bed (not the bedroom floor as originally reported). I couldn't find the link to that article again though. But it is highly unusual for dogs of any breed to put their victims back in bed to lay comfortable after an attack...
Posted by: Brent | January 25, 2008 at 01:18 PM
http://www.kfdm.com/news/dogs_24377___article.html/home_deputies.html
Body found in bed. No autopsey has be done. The idiot police shot the dogs even though they were contained - destroying precious evidence. We'll never know what really happened but even if the full truth comes out I'm sure it will have faded from the headlines. Hell, the guy might have killed his wife and staged the whole thing...
Posted by: Michelled | January 25, 2008 at 01:56 PM
[quote]and arrested the couple for having methamphetamines and other drug items. [/quote]
This actually made me laugh.That`s how warped I`m getting over all this nonsense.
[quote]Brent.....please.....are you not doing what the media is always doing with this seizure stuff[/quote]
[quote]Also two other dogs are on Death Row right now for attacks...One named Rambo[/quote]
Aren`t you also doing it?
Ah Ontario`s Rambo.
A "criminal"!
He went for a little trot around the neighbourhood.
Well he definitely should be shot for that transgression!
I predict a riot if Rambo is killed but that`s just me.
Posted by: MAC`s GANG | January 25, 2008 at 02:09 PM
The fact is, as several stated above, that we will never know the truth. The media lies. The media prints whatever it wants and feels no responsibility to correct the lies it publishes. ex: Nice young couple who sleeps w/ their dogs -- no mention of any drug raids.
Ex: After the tiger attack, the media published the 'fact' that a bloody tennis shoe was found in the tiger enclosure. Another media later states that this was a lie. The media published the 'fact' that the survivors were carrying slingshots and that a 9 in. rock was found in the tiger enclosure, that hadn't been there before. Another media later publishes the 'fact' that these were lies.
There is no point in reading or following any media reports, other than those in which there was further 'digging'.
Doug states that he expected more from Brent than a theory on seizures. Given this couple's history, I would expect more from Doug. There seems to be no reason for us to even believe that there really was a dog attack. How do we know that the husband was not involved in this? 'Reports' and then 'futher reports'. Bottom line, the media should not be publishing stories for which they do not have facts. Bottom line, folks like Doug and the GP should not be basing their opinions and 'knowledge' on media reports. It's harming us and it's turning our country and government officials into murderers.
Posted by: Becky | January 26, 2008 at 10:45 AM
As we know, since the media will always twist things, has anyone besides BH (D Politics)kept track of the bad reporting in the past? M Clifton's news clips over the years has been used as "evidence", which shows how dangerous media stories are. The expert (maybe K Nelson?) may simply state that 67% of "these" breeds did "this" and although OBJECTION should have been loudly voiced immediately,for numerous reasons, apparently that isn't sufficient. A simple 2 column truth vs media could be kept; the location/agency is needed so if it comes up later,the right people can be contacted/or deposed. As for conjecture we write about what the media does, but could take steps to issue the real facts to the public.After all, K Nelson admits he goes on Yahoo dog groups to view the strategies discussed by people like us? I will volunteer to help on this, or if anyone will send the truth v media account in summary form w/url, I will start working on it. If anyone has viewed the dogsbite.org site, which I just saw, it absolutely is the worst, and just feeds more media line by line. It is a product of killer Nelson's soliciting of victims. I want Kory Nelson to have to work OT during his time off. (I have no time off unless dogs are sleeping LOL)
URL for story re PETA actually winning legal fees against furrier out of Oregon that has since closed down. http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=7776095
Court: Ore. furrier must pay animal rights activists' legal fees
Can't say how this was done until I read the actual motions they filed....OK I read part of it. Involved anti slapp suit/apparently attys for furrier werent on the ball re their evidence;losers in anti slapp pay heavily. For Brent--- http://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2007/05/blogger_protect.htm
thats a bit of good news even if it doesnt involve dogs!
PS Going to get shirts made against killer nelson. any suggestions for?
Posted by: Sabrina Kennedy | January 26, 2008 at 03:59 PM
Shirt suggestions:
If I Had Any Guts, I'd Run for Office
I See 'Pit Bulls'
I'm a Useful Idiot for the AR Movement - or Just an Idiot
BSL Out of the Box - Ask Me for Details on How You, Too, Can Persecute Your Constituents
Posted by: Caveat | January 26, 2008 at 04:10 PM
Running from Pitbulls=My home based Business
Predatory Soliciting: Kory Nelson at Work 24/7
Pitbulls are My Life Unless One Kills Me
Home rule for Dummies by Kory Nelson (dont laugh, he says he is publishing a book!)
RDOWS keeps a short leash on killer, and rightly so. He is a MAJOR cause of new BSL cropping up everywhere; 1.Media (get story),2. victim (contact victim) 3. action(contact/solicit their city council,etc) 4. volunteer services to implement BSL 5. help victim put his info. on victim website such as dogsbite.org
Posted by: Sabrina Kennedy | January 26, 2008 at 05:10 PM
The media has benefitted from my daughter, Kelli Wallace Chapman's death by fabricating some really "good" stories. I have no idea where "michelled" got the information about Kelli being found in the bed and no autopsy performed on the dogs. Kelli was found on the floor, and there was an autopsy done on BOTH dogs. And NO, her husband did not kill her. Kelli was very much alive and fought those dogs all over the room she was found in. She put up a fight until the end. She suffered a horrible death. As for the "drug" articles, no one is a saint and that had happened a year and a half before her death. The charges were also dropped because the task force raided the wrong house. Then the task force searched the RIGHT house NEXT DOOR from Kelli and found drugs, guns, etc. and this was thrown out also because the owner did not give them permission to search the home. The dog at that time, only tried to protect their owners from men whom they did not know that intruded their home. I don't understand why the media didn't have a good time with that instead of my daughters death. They could have at least let us bury her with some dignity instead of bringing up the past that had NOTHING to do with my daughter's death. She was not taking any illegal drugs but the media made it where people would think that this was what her death was about. I hope that these "reporters" never have to go what we have gone through losing a child.
Posted by: Kelli's MOTHER | February 20, 2008 at 09:59 AM
Kelli's mother,
I'm sorry about your loss. I can't imagine having to deal with the tragedy.
I have yet to be involved in a single incident that was covered by the media where I felt like the media provided an accurate testimate to what happened. It's really embarrassing and maddening that they would be so focused on a "good story" vs providing facts in a story.
Posted by: Brent | February 20, 2008 at 10:06 AM
Perfect example of how the media works these days...I got my information from the media reports - I provided a link. I also meant that a full "autopsey" should have included a behavioral exam of the dogs. It could have provided insight on what happened - shooting them was unneccessary and unsafe (stray bullets).
Regardless of all that, very sorry for your loss. All we want is the truth in order to do what is possible to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Posted by: Michelled | February 20, 2008 at 11:31 AM
Us pit supporters shouldn't talk as if no pit bulls have ever killed someone. Because some of them have. The thing is, some dogs of other breeds have done the same thing.
We shouldn't talk as if the cause of the attack is never mysterious. Because-when there was no human witness around-sometimes it was. But the thing is, dogs of other breeds have done the same thing.
Dogs of any breed can potentially be dangerous. But not as much as humans. Far far more murders by fellow human beings every day than by any dog.
Posted by: Rivkatheaspie | April 18, 2015 at 07:48 PM