BRUNSWICK COUNTY, Va. β The owners of six pit bulls seized after a 79-year-old woman was found dead in her backyard with "some injuries caused by dogs" are responding to the investigation, saying they can't believe their dogs could be involved in such a tragedy.
Maricela and Kwaimane Taylor voluntarily surrendered their six pit bulls to Brunswick County Animal Control after their neighbor, Doris Williams, was discovered dead Friday morning surrounded by bloody paw prints in the backyard of her home on Ponderosa Lane.
"I can't believe it. It's something I never would've thought my dogs would've done. I've never seen them attack anything," Maricela Taylor said.
The couple described Williams as a friendly neighbor who regularly interacted with their dogs without any problems.
"She used to always play with my dogs. We never had any issues with anybody. I've had people come down here, the mailman, the FedEx man, the dog people came down here before because her sister called on me before," Maricela Taylor said. "They would come down here and they would throw sticks with my dogs."
Brunswick County Sheriff's deputies are still awaiting test results from the medical examiner's office to determine the official cause of death for Williams. Investigators continue to explore whether the dogs played a primary role in her death or became involved after Williams suffered a medical emergency.
"We know that some dogs played a role. Whether that was a primary role at beginning or secondary role afterwards, we are still unsure," said Captain Joey Lopresti with the Brunswick Sheriff's Office. "All of the theories are on the table at this point, and we are hoping for some clarity and some information that comes from the Medical Examiner's office."
The Taylors said they cooperated fully with the investigation.
"We had to sign them over to Brunswick County. It was either that or they'd come back with a warrant and do a full blown investigation, which was no point in all that, just might as well take them and get it over with," Maricela Taylor said.
The couple maintains their dogs have never acted aggressively, except for one incident when Kwaimane was nipped while separating the dogs from one of their female pit bulls.
Williams' daughter Rhonda described her mother as a kind and humorous woman with strong faith who was actively involved in church and maintained a busy, engaged life.
"She greeted everyone with a hug and a kiss and was always smiling. She was deeply loved and nearly everyone in Brunswick County knew her. She made a lasting and positive impact on the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing her," Rhonda said via text.
The Taylors expressed sympathy for Williams and her family.
"I feel more for her. I feel more for her than I do for my animals. I mean, I love my animals, but at the end of the day, she's a human just like we are, and she didn't deserve that," Maricela Taylor said.
The couple believes coyotes in the area may have played a role in Williams' death. Maricela Taylor said she only noticed blood on one of her dogs and believes it came from a previous scab on its nose.
Investigators have described Williams' death as gruesome as they continue working to determine exactly what happened.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
π²: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
