Today brought new information about the dog mauling of a one year old Cass County girl last April.

The dog in question was named Kryptonite and had been in the neighborhood for about two weeks. Kryptonite wore a collar that had images of peace symbols on it.

The dog’s owner, 21 year old Justin Smith is on trial facing four misdemeanor charges / ordinance violations.

During opening statements today, defense attorney Edwin Johnson III said that investigators got the wrong dog, because they discounted the statement of a key witness. “And you’re going to hear her say at least 19 times you got the wrong dog. That dog was in my backyard the dog with the peace on it was in my back yard. There’s another dog looks like that dog, he ran across the field that way.”

Assistant Cass County Prosecutor Thomas Hubbert countered that “the physical evidence in this case is insurmountable. The dog the defendant said that he owned was covered in the victim’s blood. It was there, it never left the same scene where it attacked these victims.”

Then-one year old Arial Harrison suffered the worst injuries. She lost most of her scalp and both of her ears in the attack and was said to be living from surgery to surgery. Arial’s then six year old brother was bitten once on each arm and required five stitches. A grandmother who tried to protect both children suffered dog bites doing so.

The incident happened on a spring Sunday in April of 2017. The children were out playing on a trampoline in their grandmother’s yard when the dog approached.

The trial will resume Wednesday morning.

Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 90 days in jail.

Kryptonite was euthanized several days after the attack.