Medical Examiner: Woman subjected herself to dog attack

Beth LeBlanc | Times Herald

Matthew Grattan finds it hard to believe that his fiancé, killed in a dog attack Thursday, would do anything to harm herself.

“I, in no way, shape or form, believe that she was looking to hurt herself on that day,” Grattan said.

“She had a little girl … She wanted us to be a family.”

The Oakland County Medical Examiner's office ruled Rebecca Hardy’s death a suicide, and the cause as multiple injuries.

Dr. Ljubisa Dragovic, chief medical examiner for Oakland County, said information provided to his office indicated Hardy had recently been thrown out of her house and was walking barefoot toward the yard some houses away.

"She climbed the fence and jumped in and basically subjected herself to the attacks, which constitutes a purposeful act," Dragovic said.

"It's a sad story, but these are the facts."

In a separate interview, Dragovic told the Detroit Free Press Hardy had attempted suicide in the past.

Port Huron police Detective Sgt. Brian Georgia said the police investigation often runs parallel to the medical examiner’s investigation and aids the medical examiner in determining cause and manner of death. The manner of death was determined in part by witnesses' statements to police.

“Suicide is a possibility on many deaths and we cannot rule that out at this point,” Georgia said. “Ultimately, the medical examiner has the final ruling on cause and manner of death.”

Investigators have said they were unsure why Hardy climbed over a fence and into the back yard of 1721 10th St. Thursday afternoon.

They believe Hardy was attacked first by a pit bull and then by a Husky.

A witness tried to rescue her, but was unable to. The dog owner eventually was able to subdue the dogs and provide aid to Hardy.

The two dogs and a pit bull-husky mix puppy were euthanized the next day with consent from the owner.

Dragovic said Hardy's case is very different from the death of 4-year-old Xavier Strickland who was attacked and killed Dec. 2 by pit bulls while walking with his mother in Detroit.

"Each and every case is different and the circumstances are critical to making that determination," Dragovic said.

St. Clair County Prosecutor Michael Wendling said his office received a request of charges from the Port Huron Police Department Tuesday.

Wendling said the report was returned to the department until Hardy’s autopsy report was complete and the toxicology tests were finished. Wendling said a death certificate listing the cause and manner of death is complete, but the autopsy report is not. Once those are complete, his office will review possible charges.

“The investigation is still ongoing by the Port Huron Police Department,” Wendling said. “They are still interviewing people; they are still collecting evidence.”

Since Strickland and Hardy's deaths, debate about dangerous dogs and breed-specific legislation has been rampant on social media and in the news.

Grattan said he’s trying not to pay attention to the controversy surrounding Hardy’s death.

“It’s so much about the pit bulls that it seems like it’s not so much about my fiancé anymore,” Grattan said.

Correction: The breed of the second dog involved in the attack has been changed in this article. Family clarified that the second dog was a Husky, and not a pit bull-Husky mix as originally reported.

Contact Beth LeBlanc at (810) 989-6259 or eleblanc@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @THBethLeBlanc.