Send this page to someone via email

WARNING: This story contains graphic images and details that may not be suitable for all readers. Discretion is advised.

Kentucky police are investigating a gruesome assault that left a 26-year-old woman badly beaten, missing an ear and with three-quarters of her scalp removed.

They allege a deranged ex-boyfriend attacked her and sic’ed his pitbull on her when she tried to defend herself with a knife.

Investigators with the Boone County Sheriff’s Office say Marilyn Stanley was having dinner with her ex-boyfriend, Zachary Gross, at a home in Walton, Kentucky the night of September 14 when he flew into a violent rage.

told WKRC News in Cincinnati, Ohio. “She says she’s about four French fries in and he socks in the face. And then [throws] four or five more [punches],” Boone County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tom Schebenin Cincinnati, Ohio.

Story continues below advertisement

Police say a Facebook post may have provoked Gross’s assault, which escalated when Stanley tried to use a weapon to defend herself.

“At one point she gets a knife in defense, he says put the knife down or I’m going to sic the dog on you,” Scheben said.

“She didn’t and that’s where the real injuries came in.”

The man’s pit bull assaulted Stanley and ripped one of her ears off, police say.

Meanwhile police allege Gross used the knife to scalp her, removing more than 70% of her scalp.

“When he’s finished he praises the dog for the work he did. Then makes her stand in front of mirror to make her look at herself,” Scheben said. Tweet This

Story continues below advertisement

Police say Gross dropped Stanley off near her mother’s house after the beating, where she was discovered by her sister and mother later that evening. They quickly phoned police and rushed her to hospital.

Stanley was treated at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for several days before being released, hospital officials confirm to Global News. They understandably could not provide any details on her care or condition due to the rules governing patient privacy under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

According to a GoFundMe page set up to help pay her medical bills, she’s already undergone three surgeries to place a cadaver’s scalp over her skull until her tissue is strong enough to support a skin graft.

Gross was arrested the night as the alleged attack and is facing charges of assault and harboring a vicious animal.

Story continues below advertisement