Life sentence for woman whose dogs killed neighbour
A woman whose dogs viciously attacked and killed her neighbour in the hallway of their apartment building in California seven years ago has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
Marjorie Knoller was convicted of second-degree murder in the 2001 mauling death of Dianne Whipple, but a judge later reduced the charge to involuntary manslaughter and sentenced her in 2002 to a four-year prison term.
But the California Supreme Court last year said the trial judge was wrong and sent the case back.
Last month, Superior Court Judge Charlotte Woolard reinstated the murder conviction, for which Knoller was sentenced today.
Prosecutors say the case is the California’s first murder conviction connected to a dog mauling.
