In December 2025, three people were arrested in Tullahoma, Tennessee, after a family dog attack killed James Smith, age 50, and his three-month-old granddaughter. The victims were found by responding officers with the dogs still attacking the infant’s body; those arrested face charges including second-degree murder, child abuse, and neglect. Neighbors described the household as owning seven dogs known for chasing other animals but not humans previously. A GoFundMe campaign has raised over $49,000 to support the surviving family members and cover funeral expenses.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
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No political leaning scored for article 11986 · logged 2026-09-15
Three people have been taken into custody in Tennessee over a December 2025 incident in which a 50-year-old man and his three-month-old granddaughter died after being attacked by family dogs.
asserted
man → take → dogs
Officers responding to the Tullahoma residence found James Smith and his infant granddaughter dead, with the animals still attacking the child’s body, as reported by NBC affiliate WSMB.
Zaccahae Smith, Sylvia Smith and Tilesia Baugh were arrested in connection with the fatalities and face multiple felony charges.
asserted
Smith → respond → charges
was charged with second-degree murder, Sylvia Smith faces three counts of child abuse and neglect and Baugh was charged with two counts of child abuse and neglect and one count of aggravated child abuse and neglect.
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Baugh → charge → abuse
Investigators are currently examining whether the dog attack caused the deaths or occurred after the victims had already died.
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victims → examine → deaths
Residents said the household owned seven dogs, which neighbors said had previously targeted other animals in the area but had never shown aggression toward humans.
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neighbors → say → humans
“[The mom was] screaming, ‘my baby,’ as [Tullahoma Animal Control] pulled up,” Rebecca Adams, a neighbor, told the outlet.
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Adams → scream → outlet
“My heart just shattered.
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heart → shatter → ?
I’m just now coming to realize what happened, and it really happened.
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it → come → ?
I’ve lived by these people forever, and now they aren’t even going to be my neighbors no more.”
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they → live → people
Adams mentioned that the dogs had a history of chasing cats and other pets around the neighborhood.
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dogs → mention → neighborhood
“I’ve never seen them be aggressive towards people,” Adams said.
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Adams → see → people
“They’d run after cats.
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They → run → cats
They’d run after dogs, animal things.
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They → run → dogs
I could see them be aggressive towards animals.
uncertain
them → see → animals
Never did I think they would do that to the kids.”
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they → think → kids
Adams noted that people kept driving past the house to see the scene for themselves.
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people → note → themselves
“Today has just been everybody driving by just to see the house,” she said.
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she → drive → house
“I guess they’re needing proof, too, that this really did happen.”
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this → guess → proof
Relatives launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover memorial costs and support the surviving household members.
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Relatives → launch → members
“To make things even harder, the family home was taken away shortly after the tragedy,” the page states.
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page → make → tragedy
“They lost not only two precious lives, but also their home, their belongings, and their sense of security — all within hours.”
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They → lose → hours
The incident left a grandmother to care for six remaining children who “suddenly have no clothes, no beds, and nowhere to go,” according to the organizer.
uncertain
who → leave → organizer
Organizers also noted that the grandfather “did not have life insurance, leaving the family with the overwhelming burden of funeral expenses.”
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grandfather → note → expenses
As of Tuesday, the effort had raised $49,145 toward its $55,000 goal, through more than 1,000 donations.
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effort → raise → donations
The Aporia
