CLAY COUNTY, Iowa (KCAU) – An Iowa woman found dead in a ditch outside her home died as the result of multiple dog bite injuries, authorities have confirmed.
According to a release from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, authorities received a 911 call Monday afternoon from a person who believed he had come across a motorcycle incident south of Rossie, Iowa.
The caller said he found a woman in the ditch but could not get close to her due to several big dogs near her. Deputies arrived and found the woman, identified as 43-year-old Mindy Kiepe, dead. Kiepe, 43, was a resident of rural Rossie, Iowa.
The incident occurred just a short distance from her farm residence driveway, authorities said.
Kiepe was taken to the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. The State Medical Examiner ruled on Wednesday that Kiepe’s death was due to multiple dog bite injuries and not a motorcycle crash.
After further investigation, it was determined that five Great Danes owned by Kiepe had caused her death. With the assistance of a veterinarian, the five dogs were euthanized.
Additional details about the incident, including what may have prompted the dogs to fatally bite Kiepe, have not been released. The Sheriff’s Office declined to provide further information to Nexstar’s KCAU.
