Linda Cutler: Florida Woman Faces Manslaughter Charge After Her Two Dogs Fatally Attack Neighbor, Sheriff Says
Authorities in Brevard County, Florida, have filed a manslaughter charge against a 29-year-old Linda Cutler whose two dogs attacked and killed a neighbor.
According to investigators, the owner is facing these charges because they knew the animals had been escaping and was growing more aggressive for some time.
 |
| Linda Cutler |
The deadly encounter unfolded on May 19, 2026, when 50-year-old Jodi Cowan was walking her own dog near her home in Cocoa.
According to Sheriff Wayne Ivey, surveillance video from a nearby house showed the two dogs — later identified as Max and Mako — running toward Cowan moments before they climbed over a fence and attacked her.
Cowan’s partner, Donnell Smith, told authorities that when he heard her screaming, he rushed outside with a knife, and then forced the dogs away.
He later found Cowan on the ground in a pool of blood, and she was immediately taken to a hospital, but sadly, she died roughly four hours later.
When investigators interviewed the dogs’ owner, Linda Cutler, she allegedly admitted she was aware the pair routinely escaped the yard, had bitten someone on a prior occasion, and had become “more aggressive” over time.
Cutler also told agents she had put up an additional fence but knew it had holes the dogs would regularly slip through, the sheriff said.
When the attack happened, Cutler was not at home — she was staying at a Hilton hotel on the beach, where Melbourne police later responded to a separate disturbance involving her.
After an arrest warrant was issued, Melbourne officers took Cutler into custody, as reported by PEOPLE
According to Sheriff Ivey, Cutler pretended to have a heart attack during her arrest, which led to a hospital evaluation before she was booked into the Brevard County Jail.
Video released by the sheriff’s office showed Ivey walking Cutler through the facility, where he told her, “Hope you enjoyed your time at the beach because you’re not going to be going back.”
When Cutler asked Ivey what the purpose of the remark was, he replied, “A woman is dead and two dogs are about to be euthanized because of your uselessness.”
Neighbors had previously reported seeing dogs from Cutler’s residence roaming the area, and the sheriff’s office had received calls about other dogs at the property dating back to 2024.
There was one earlier biting incident, but the person who was bitten declined to cooperate with investigators, which kept animal enforcement officers from taking further action at that time.
For more true crime stories and updates on other high-profile cases sign up for our free newsletter here.
Comments
Post a Comment