Police rule out foul play in case of 22-year-old woman eaten by her own pit bulls as they reveal they found the dogs chewing on her rib cage

  • Virginian Bethany Lynn Stephens, 22, was found dead in a wooded area
  • Her father found her body being aggressively guarded by her two pit bulls
  • Her body showed signs consistent with being mauled by animals
  • Goochland County Sheriff James Agnew ruled out foul play, describing the horrific scene officers had found
  • 'I observed... the dogs eating the ribcage on the body,' he said. 'The injuries were very severe'
  • He ruled out suggestions that she could have been killed by a bear or coyote saying that bite and scratch marks were consistent with smaller animals 
  • Agnew said that they also didn't believe she'd been killed by a person
  • The medical examiner ruled out with 'complete certainty' sexual assault, adding that they were no strangulation marks on her body
  • The animals have since been put down as Agnew warned: 'Once a dog tastes human flesh it is not safe to have that dog around humans'

Police have confirmed that a 22-year-old woman was mauled to death by her own pit bulls and reveal they found the dogs chewing on her rib cage.

Bethany Lynn Stephens was found dead in a 'grisly' scene on Thursday night, two days after she was last seen heading out to walk her dogs in the woods near her Goochland, Virginia home.

Friends of the victim had insisted that her beloved pets would never have killed her, saying the dogs would 'kill you with kisses', and suggesting Stephens could have been murdered.

But on Monday, Goochland County Sheriff James Agnew ruled out foul play, describing the horrific scene he and his officers found.

'Let me cut right to the chase, the most important detail that we did not release because we were worried about the well-being of the family is that in the course of trying to capture the dogs early Friday morning, we turned and looked… I observed, as well as four other deputy sheriffs, the dogs eating the ribcage on the body,' Agnew told Pix 11. 'The injuries were very severe.'

Bethany Lynn Stephens (pictured with one of her killer dogs) was found dead in a 'grisly' scene on Thursday night, two days after she was last seen heading out to walk her dogs in the woods near her Goochland, Virginia home 

Bethany Lynn Stephens (pictured with one of her killer dogs) was found dead in a 'grisly' scene on Thursday night, two days after she was last seen heading out to walk her dogs in the woods near her Goochland, Virginia home 

Agnew, who said that Stephens had already been dead when they found her, also described the blood covered scene, but said investigators had ruled out widespread suggestions that she could have been killed by a bear or coyote.

'There was no evidence of any larger animal there,' Agnew said. 'The medical examiner made it pretty clear that it was not a large animal because the bite wounds didn't puncture her skull.

'There were also scratch marks consistent with a smaller animal than something like a bear.'

Agnew said that they also didn't believe she'd been killed by a person.

The medical examiner ruled out with 'complete certainty' sexual assault, adding that they were no strangulation marks on her body. 

Goochland County Sheriff James Agnew (pictured)  ruled out foul play, describing the horrific scene he and his officers found

Goochland County Sheriff James Agnew (pictured)  ruled out foul play, describing the horrific scene he and his officers found

Stephens' friend doesn't think the dogs would have attacked her, noting they slept in the bed with her at night. The friend said it looked like the dogs had escaped their kennels to help her

Stephens was 5-feet-1 and 125 pounds, weighing roughly the same amount as her dogs
The brindle-colored pit bulls were said to have been bred for fighting

Stephens was 5-feet-1 and 125 pounds, weighing roughly the same amount as her dogs. The brindle-colored pit bulls were said to have been bred for fighting

Investigators had also spoken to witnesses and people known to Stephens, and 'people's movements... don't fit with that particular narrative.'

However, police are still investigating and are carrying out forensic tests.

Cops captured the dogs at the scene but the animals have since been euthanized, with the family's consent on Saturday.

'What I observed personally, it was in the community's best interest,' Agnew said. 'Once a dog tastes human flesh it is not safe to have that dog around humans.'

But not everyone has accepted the police's response.

The woman's father John (above) found her body two days after she went missing 

The woman's father John (above) found her body two days after she went missing 

Family, friends and colleagues at a dog training facility where Stephens worked, said the victim was experienced working with animals and the dogs were well socialized and passive.

Veterinary experts have also said that it's is extremely rare for a dog to just attack at random. 

Sergeant Mike Blackwood revealed the dogs, which had lived inside with Stephens, had been a 'little bit neglected towards the end of this' after the 22-year-old left the dogs with her father who wasn't taking care of them.

Stephens would come home five times a week to see the dogs, which had been moved outside to a kennel and became increasingly isolated. 

However, Agnew refuted rumors that the pit bulls had been used for fighting and said that while rare, such attacks on owners weren't unheard of.

'I don't want to disparage any particular breed but if you do the research you will find that many of them are perpetuated by pit bulls.'

The police said they had decided to share more details on the case because of the rampant rumors and theories spreading through their community in the wake of Stephens' death.

Stephens' friend, Barbara Norris, told NBC12  that she didn't believe the dogs would kill Stephens and that they slept in her bed at night.  

'Those dogs would not attack her,' she said. 'They'd kill you with kisses.'  

But Stephens' friend, Barbara Norris (above), does not believe the dogs would kill Stephens and thinks she was murdered. She said: 'Those dogs would not attack her. They'd kill you with kisses.'

But Stephens' friend, Barbara Norris (above), does not believe the dogs would kill Stephens and thinks she was murdered. She said: 'Those dogs would not attack her. They'd kill you with kisses.'

Norris said that the dogs' kennels appeared to have been broken open, as if the dogs had escaped to help Stephens. 

But the dogs — described as being 'very large, brindle-colored pit bull dogs' — were said to be aggressively guarding her body when Stephens' father came across them, according to Goochland County Sheriff James L. Agnew, the Richmond-Times Dispatch reported.   

Initial medical examiner's reports indicated that Stephens, who stood 5-foot-1 and weighted 125 pounds, had defensive wounds on her hands and arms.

Her wounds, which also included puncture wounds in her skull, were consistent with having been mauled.

'The first traumatic injury to her was to her throat and face,' Agnew said, adding that, 'It appears she was taken to the ground, lost consciousness, and the dogs then mauled her to death.'   

Authorities are continuing to investigate Stephens' death. Stephens (pictured with Great Dane, Drogo) showed no signs of homicide or strangulation, police said

Authorities are continuing to investigate Stephens' death. Stephens (pictured with Great Dane, Drogo) showed no signs of homicide or strangulation, police said

Bethany Lynn Stephens, 22, was found mauled to death two days after having taken her dogs out for a walk. Her two pit bulls were found aggressively guarding her body in the woods

Bethany Lynn Stephens, 22, was found mauled to death two days after having taken her dogs out for a walk. Her two pit bulls were found aggressively guarding her body in the woods

Agnew said that in his 'nearly 40 years in law enforcement, I've never seen anything quite like it.' 

After discovering his daughter's body and the dogs guarding it, Stephens' father called 911.  

It took the sheriff's deputies more than an hour to wrangle the dogs, which were said to weigh about as much as Stephens did.  

Sheriff's deputies then collected more than 60 pieces of evidence from the scene of Stephens' death, which was covered with blood and shredded pieces of her clothing.   

Agnew noted that Stephens' death was not a homicide and that there were no strangulation marks on her body. The investigation is said to be ongoing. 

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