Crime History: Athlete mauled to death

Published January 25, 2012 5:00am ET



On this day, Jan. 26, in 2001, a neighborhood dispute over the behavior of two mastiffs ended in the mauling death of Diane Whipple. Whipple, a former U.S. Women’s Lacrosse World Cup team member, was attacked at her San Francisco apartment building by the 140-pound dogs, named Bane and Hera. Whipple, 33, died after suffering 77 bite wounds.

The dogs had been bred for fighting on behalf of a leader of a Aryan Brotherhood prison gang, who was serving a life sentence. The dogs’ adoptive owners, Marjorie Knoller and Robert Noel, further outraged the public by seemingly blaming Whipple for the attack.

Knoller was convicted of murder and sentenced to 15 years. Noel, who was not at the attack, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years.

— Scott McCabe