Dog attack investigation leads to felons, fighting dog rings

The owners of the dogs involved in the fatal mauling, attorneys Robert Noel, and his wife Marjori Knoller, have both visited Schneider and Bretches at Pelican Bay in their professional role, Heimerich confirmed.

Noel acquired the two huge dogs three months ago. Bane, a 3-year-old, 120-pound Mastiff Canary Island cattle dog, attacked and killed Diane Whipple. The other dog was 113-pound Hera, 2, also a Mastiff-Canary Island mix.

There is no indication Noel received the dogs from the inmates or that the animals had been used in fights. No charges have been filed against either Noel or Knoller.

"We did run an investigation into a fighting dog ring with links to those two inmates," Heimerich said. State officials have turned their information on Schneider and Bretches over to San Francisco police investigators as they look into the attack.

Whipple died Friday night after the two large dogs broke free from their handler. Bane latched onto Whipple's neck. Whipple died a few hours later.

The two inmates have violent pasts and authorities are investigating possible links they might have had to dog fighting rings.

"Schneider is a validated gang member belonging to the Aryan Brotherhood," Heimerich said. He described the organization as a violent white supremacist group.

Bretches is also a member of the Aryan Brotherhood, he said. He said both men are active members of the tight-knit supremacist sect.

Schneider, 38, is in prison for a robbery conviction in Los Angeles County and attempted murder while incarcerated at Folsom State Prison.

He has been in Pelican Bay since 1986, Heimerich said. Schneider is currently serving life without the possibility of parole.

Bretches, 44, is in Pelican Bay for second degree murder and was also found guilty of assault with a deadly weapon while incarcerated, according to state records. He is currently serving life without the possibility of parole.

"Noel and Knoller have visited Mr. Schneider in an attorney capacity at Pelican State Prison," Heimerich said. Both attorneys have also visited Bretches, he said.

San Francisco investigators would not say if Noel had acquired his dogs from Schneider or Bretches. San Francisco district attorney's office spokesman Fred Gardner did say his office was trying to determine if Noel's dogs were "trained to fight, attack or kill causing injury."

Information of such trained behavior would allow the district attorney's office to "go forward with a maximum prosecution," Gardner said.

Knoller and Noel did not return calls from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Noels' dogs were a dangerous crossbreed, according to Merry Johnson, president of the Gunpowder Bull Mastiff group based in Baltimore and a Mastiff breeder with 25 years experience.

"It's unwise because you're taking a terrier type personality and you're making it very large," Johnson said. "The Canary mix is a dangerous dog."

Whipple was a two-time first team All-American lacrosse player at Penn State and was named NCAA national player of the year in 1990. She was on the Penn State squads that captured the NCAA championships in 1987 and 1989.

Whipple was hired in 1999 as St. Mary's first varsity coach in the inaugural season as a Division I team.<