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American Morning

Owners of Dogs in Dog Mauling Trial Found Guilty of Murder and Manslaughter Charges

Aired March 22, 2002 - 07:02   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Up front this morning, the verdicts are in: guilty on all counts. The owners of two dogs that viciously mauled to death a San Francisco woman in the hallway of her apartment building last year are found guilty of murder and manslaughter charges by a California jury.

CNN's Charles Feldman has been following the trial.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We, the jury, in the above-entitled action, find the defendant, Marjorie Knoller, guilty of the crime of murder in the second degree.

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With that, Marjorie Knoller, whose dog mauled Diane Whipple to death last year, becomes the first person in California to be found guilty of murder for a crime a pet committed.

Both Knoller and her husband, Robert Noel, were found guilty of lesser charges, including involuntary manslaughter.

Prosecutors charged Knoller with murder and not her husband, because she was with the giant 100 plus pound Presa Canario dog when it attacked Whipple in their San Francisco apartment building.

The trial was moved to L.A. to find a fairer jury. During the trial, defense lawyers claimed Knoller tried to pry her dog off the young woman. Prosecutors countered Knoller knew the dogs were dangerous.

DON NEWTON, JURY FOREMAN: She was not really heeding any of the warnings that had been given, and that there was no way that this could have been avoided. It could have happened at any time, and that is malice.

FELDMAN: During the trial, Knoller took the stand in her own defense, but any words of contrition clearly fell on juror's deaf ears. She now faces a sentence of 15 years to life, and her husband faces up to 4 on his involuntary manslaughter conviction.

Diane Whipple's domestic partner is pleaded with the verdict, her feelings tempered by the fact that the woman she loved is now dead.

SHARON SMITH, WHIPPLE'S DOMESTIC PARTNER: It has been a long 14 months, and a lot of that time was spent focusing on this moment. So it's a very emotional moment for me.

FELDMAN: After the verdicts were announced, the prosecutor revealed that throughout the trial, he carried with him Diane Whipple's championship lacrosse ring, a prized possession she was wearing the day she died.

(on camera): This tragic case now moves back to San Francisco where it all began. In a couple of weeks, the California Department of Probation will issue its report, and then the judge will pronounce sentence. An appeal is thought likely.

Charles Feldman, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And that brings us to our big question of the hour: Was it the right verdict? At 7:12 Eastern Time, we will talk to the foreman of the jury and to the mother of victim, Diane Whipple.

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