Autopsy confirms Lake Placid man died from ‘more than 100 dog bites’

An autopsy confirmed Friday that a Lake Placid, Florida, man died from injuries sustained in a dog attack, authorities said.

According to the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, Melvin Olds Jr., 45, was found Thursday in the woods behind a home, his body covered in more than 100 dog bites. His death was originally deemed the result of an animal attack, but the animal wasn’t confirmed to be dogs until Friday.

Traps set by Highlands County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services and patrolling Animal Service units have captured six dogs with bite sizes similar to the marks found on Olds. DNA from both the wounds and the dogs will be needed to determine their culpability.

In the meantime, Sheriff Paul Blackman warned residents to stay vigilant:

“While we may have the dogs that were responsible for this horrible tragedy, we won’t know for sure for a while,” Blackman said. “I want to encourage residents of Highway Park and the surrounding area to be on the lookout for any loose dogs, especially those that seem aggressive.”

This story was originally published July 5, 2019 at 5:13 PM.