Three dogs identified in killing of woman

The bite marks of three dogs match the wounds found on the body of a woman, who died from hundreds of bites inflicted by the animals, according to authorities.

Bite marks from a pair of Great Pyrenees dogs, belonging to Dr. Ephraim Gammada, and a mixed-breed dog owned by Ronnie Swann are consistent with the wounds on Dianna Acklen, 60, according to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation officials.

Gammada and Swann both live on the same street where Acklen, a Franklin County library employee, was mauled May 6 as she was taking her daily walk around the neighborhood she’d lived in for many years.

Acklen’s body was found at the Swann residence by passers-by, who tried but could not stem severe bleeding from puncture wounds that covered her body from her shoulders down.

The TBI has finished investigating the incident and it’s up to the district attorney to decide if any charges will be filed, spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson said.

Gammada did not return a message left for him by The Tennessean newspaper at his Winchester office or a phone call made to his home. District Attorney General Mike Taylor was not available for comment Friday evening.

Mike Tabor, a forensic dentist who handles cases for the state medical examiner’s office, examined wax imprints of the dogs’ mouths and teeth and compared those to photos of bite marks on Acklen’s body.

“There were hundreds of bite marks on this woman’s body. It’s just such a gruesome tragedy,” Tabor said.

Authorities had also been investigating a fourth dog, a chocolate-colored Labrador retriever owned by Swann, but they said its bite mark did not match any of those on the victim.