The attack

Whipple was carrying groceries into her apartment, when she ran into Knoller, and her dogs. The male dog sniffed Whipple, and nuzzled her crotch. Whipple pushes the dog away,  and it explodes in a rage where it ripped her throat, bit her all over and dragged her body around the hallway. While all of this happened, Marjorie Knoller, the owner, stood by.

After the attack Knoller callously  stepped over Diane's body to get back into her apartment. She left one of the dogs in the hallway, one was brought inside.

Whipple sustained a total of 77 bite wounds, the most serious ones being severe bites to her neck. The dogs severed her jugular.

The first police officer on the scene described how Whipple laid in a pool of blood and was crawling to her apartment, bleeding profusely. She died on operating table waiting for paramedics. Detailed description

The dog that killed Whipple

The dog is lead out of the apartment building after the attack.

 

The investigation

San Francisco police learn that the two lawyers were working with a Pelican Bay prisoner named Paul "Cornfed" Schneider, who was raising killer attack dogs to guard methamphetamine labs for the Mexican Mafia.  More info

These two lawyers represented convicts in lawsuits against the prisons, and that's where they met Paul John Schneider, a Aryan white supremacist. Cornfeld was in prison for attempted murder, and needed someone to handle his dogs and these two agreed.

Marjorie Is The Poster Girl At Pelican Bay

Schneider (Marjorie Knoller's adopted son) turns her into the Betty Grabble of Pelican bay prison. The pictures of her and Bane was the talk of every cell block.

Schneider bragged that Bane, “loved the ladies”, and discussed how the dog developed an erection the first time he met Marjorie. Documents found in Schneider's cell, including letters and nude photographs of Knoller, provided evidence of sexual activity between the couple and Bane, according to an investigator in the San Francisco District Attorney's office.

The trial

In March, Marjorie Knoller was charged with second-degree murder, and Noel and Knoller both were charged with manslaughter, and keeping a mischievous animal. The trial was moved to Los Angeles because of the massive publicity surrounding the case.  Article

Judge blocks evidence

The case could involve evidence that the couple, a pair of San Francisco lawyers who got the Presa Canario dogs from a pair of convicts they defended and befriended, engaged in "inappropriate sexual conduct" with the animals, according to prosecutors.

" They blurred the boundaries between dogs and humans , with fatal consequences," San Francisco prosecutor Jim Hammer testified during a hearing earlier this month. Judge James Warren ruled on Jan. 15 that any evidence related to sexual activity would only be admitted if prosecutors can show how it affected the way the dogs behaved. 

"If there is sex that is relevant in this case, either with dogs or with humans, it would be scrutinized outside the presence of the media," Warren said at that hearing.

 

 

 

 

The most damning evidence was never presented to the jury.

The judge in the case, refused to allow prosecutor Jim Hammer to present evidence suggesting that Knoller and Noel had engaged in beastiality with the dogs, and this abuse may have triggered the attack. Article.

He cited Knoller's statements that her dog Bane was sniffing at Whipple's crotch just before the attack and may have instigated the mauling after being sexually aroused by her. Hammer argued that any sexual conduct between the couple and the dogs would therefore be relevant since by Knoller's account, a sexual attraction may have sparked the attack.
 

Prosecutor is hampered   

Police find photos but Judge bans evidence

While seeking evidence in the mauling, police found risqué photos of Knoller in Schneider’s cell. Police will not discuss other evidence, but their search warrant said they were after material "describing sexual acts by Noel or Knoller that involved dogs." More

Robert Noel's lust was public knowledge

A  Pelican Bay guard said he saw Noel change. "I'd get on the phone with Bob to ask him about a case," Keith Whitley said, "and all he did was talk about how big Bane's balls were."

Noel himself bragged to the magazine about the size of the dog's penis and its erections.

Prosecutor says attack caused by abused dogs

 Bane (male) had been with Marge Knoller, and was attracted to women.

At a grand jury hearing in March, Hammer testified that Bane, the male dog who was determined to be the primary aggressor in the attack, "put his head in Miss Whipple's crotch" and responded to her the way he would have to a "bitch in heat."

Knoller referred to Bane as her " Certified Lick Specialist " ... Bane preformed cunnilingus on Knoller.

Knoller is convicted

Marjorie Knoller, 46, is convicted of second degree Murder.

As the jury's verdict was being read to the court, Knoller looked shocked, taking several deep breaths. Noel, who refuses to stand, showed no reaction.

Verdict

Jurors believed that Knoller had the dogs attack

After the trial, jurors now say they discussed whether the attack that took Whipple´s life may have been deliberate. Knoller may had her dogs deliberately attack Whipple.

Jury foreman Don Newton said that jurors didn't buy Knoller's version of what happened during the  attack on Whipple. He said, they were left to only guess about what happened.

 Newton said  ``Some of the jurors even suggested she engineered the attack on Diane Whipple. A short video.

Judge overturns murder verdict

Marjorie Knoller had been convicted by a Los Angeles jury of both murder and manslaughter, but the trial judge later reversed the murder conviction.

Had the murder conviction stood, Knoller would have faced a maximum term of 15 years to life in prison. Judge James Warren, who set aside the jury's verdict on the murder charge, ordered that Knoller be retried on just on that count.

Sentenced to country club prison and received early parole

Jewish interests push for an early release

Marjorie Knoller was released on parole from the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, Calif., on Friday, after serving 33 months for involuntary manslaughter.

Robert Noel was released September 2003 after serving little more than half his four-year sentence.  Noel, who served most of his time in Oregon ( Country Club prison ), was transferred last week to a state prison in Susanville.

Appeals Court reverses verdict

May. 05, 2005 - A California appeals court today reinstated the second-degree murder conviction of Marjorie Knoller.

Picture from Jewish news laughing about incident

Aryan dog adopted by Jews kills woman.

Apparently, the shift from a Aryan Brotherhood owner to the home of a pair of Jewish lawyers did not have a calming effect on this killer pooch...