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Jury Hears More Cross-Examination in Case Where Dog Mauled Neighbor to Death

Aired March 13, 2002 - 13:09   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In another case now, the jury hears more cross-examination in a case against a couple in San Francisco whose dog mauled a neighbor to death last year. Yesterday, a defendant, Marjorie Knoller, was grilled by prosecutors, who say she must have known her dogs were dangerous. This trial has been moved from San Fran to L.A.

And in Los Angeles, here is CNN's Thelma Gutierrez with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Marjorie Knoller told jurors she and her husband, Robert Noel, had no idea their dogs, Bane and Hera, were capable of such vicious behavior. But during cross-examination, the prosecution asking Knoller about the many witnesses who testified otherwise, like make the mail carrier who says one of the dogs was in a snarling frenzy, or the neighbor who claims to have been bitten. Inaccurate and false, said Knoller.

JIM HAMMER, PROSECUTOR: Ms. Knoller claims that almost ever witness testified against her has testified falsely. The jury is going to have to decide whether or not to believe those 20-some-odd witnesses or her.

NEDRA RUIZ, KNOLLER ATTORNEY: On many of those witnesses are testifying about contacts they had with Robert and Marjorie where there was no contact.

GUTIERREZ: In direct testimony, Knoller also described the gruesome scene in this hallway during the frenzied dog attack, in which Bane, the 120-pound presa canario, mauled Diane Whipple to death. Knoller testified it was a horrible event that lasted between 10 and 20 minutes. For most of that time, she told jurors, again, she tried protect Whipple's body with her own.

RUIZ: While she was lying on top of Diane and trying to protect her, Bane was biting her. Bane was lacerating her hands. Bane was biting her shoulder. Bane was biting her arm.

GUTIERREZ: Defense attorney Nedra Ruiz says photos of Knoller's injuries prove she was trying to save Diane Whipple's life. Knoller said she put two fingers in the punctures wounds in Whipple's neck to try to stop the bleeding. When the dog calmed down, she said I had to stop to get him the hell out of there. She said she dragged the dog back to her apartment. She then broke down in tears, saying her emotional state was abysmal, and that she was -- quote -- "a basketcase" at the time.

HAMMER: You I really am not going to characterizing her crying. There are a couple of options. She is crying for herself, she's crying for Diane, or she's crying for Hera.

RUIZ: I'm glad the jury got to see who Marjorie Knoller really is and how she suffered and continues to suffer because of a tragic deathly attack by a dog she never thought would do such an attack.

GUTIERREZ: To date, the cross-examination of Marjorie Knoller continues. Jurors will have to decide whether she tried to stop the attack and whether the dogs were trained to or known to fight, attack or kill, to get a second degree murder conviction, which carries a sentence of 15 years to life.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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