Deputies Watched Dogs ‘Eating The Rib Cage’ Of A Woman During Mauling

A 22-year-old Virginia woman who was mauled to death by her two pit bulls was said to have loved her pets, who deputies watched eat her rib cage.

“Let me cut right to the chase,” said Goochland County Sheriff James Agnew in a news conference.  “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.”

BREAKING: Dogs that @goochland Sheriff’s office says mauled Bethany Stephens to death euthanized Saturday. Family gave permission. Presser at 4pm. @CBS6 pic.twitter.com/QqZH6poCVC

— Laura French (@lfrenchnews) December 18, 2017

Bethany Stephens, the woman who was killed after the mauling was said to have loved her pet dogs.

“The injuries were very severe,” Agnew added. “The most prevalent damage…the damage was so extensive [on the body] that there was nothing left to compare the bite marks to.” Agnew said he and the deputies decided to capture the dogs, who were euthanized Saturday after the family gave permission. Authorities did not suspect foul play in the death and said no strangulation marks were found on the woman’s body.

“We had a number of witnesses came forward and we were able to put a time frame together and people’s movements together and they don’t fit with that particular narrative,” the sheriff said. “Having said that, we are still following up on those; we are still doing forensic tests.”

It’s still unclear what led to the deadly mauling, but a man who used to work with the Stephens said the pet owner loved the canines and was very experienced working with animals, according to WTVR. Other people also said the dogs were social, passive and had a “significant bond” with Stephens.