An Alabama Department of Public Health employee was killed by a pack of dogs while responding to a report of a separate attack last week, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office confirmed in a post shared on its Facebook account last Friday (April 29).
Jacqueline Summer Beard, 58, was pronounced dead by the county coroner after bystanders called authorities regarding a suspicious vehicle where her body was located upon arrival.
The car was parked in a rural area outside Red Bay, which is located near the Mississippi state line.
Beard is believed to have been attempting to contact Brandy Dowdy, 39, the owner of the dogs at the time of her death, according to the sheriff's office.
Dowdy was charged with manslaughter in connection to Beard's death and is being held without bail, according to public records obtained by NBC News.
AL.com reports Beard worked as an environmental supervisor during her long tenure with the Alabama Public Health Department.
The media outlet reported Beard was following up on a prior incident earlier in the week in which the dogs attacked another woman who was walking by the house.
AL.com reported that the woman attacked during her walk remains hospitalized in Mississippi as of last Friday.
Several dogs began attacking residents when officers arrived at the scene on Friday, which led to one individual experiencing minor injuries and some of the dogs being euthanized immediately before Beard's body was located inside the car, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office confirmed.