Police question dog owner about fatal mauling of Kansas City man; investigation ongoing
The owner of the dogs believed to have mauled a Kansas City man, Chris Culbertson, to death last November was taken into custody Tuesday morning for further questioning related to the attack.
John Thibeaux was walking into the Kansas City Municipal Courthouse for a hearing on two separate dog-related code violations when he was taken into custody, according to Detective Aaron Fisher with the Kansas City Police Department. Thibeaux owns a house on the block where the dog attack occurred over three months ago, according to property records.
He was later released pending further investigation, according to Alayna Gonzalez, spokesperson with the Kansas City Police Department.
“Detectives continue to investigate and are working closely with prosecutors to review any and all investigative findings for consideration of applicable charges,” she said Wednesday morning.
Charges have not been determined, according to Jazzlyn Johnson, spokesperson for the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
Thibeaux was set to appear in court for a Nov. 20 animal citation. His gray and white male pitbull, Brix, allegedly did not have a license tag and was not neutered, as required by city code. That hearing was delayed to March 25.
Thibeaux is also scheduled to appear March 18 after being cited Jan. 3 for having an animal without a license.
The Star previously attempted to reach Thibeaux for comment by phone, email and snail mail but were unsuccessful. A reporter did not knock on his door because of no trespassing signs on the fence surrounding a portion of the 1.25-acre property in a hilly and sparsely populated section of the Marlborough neighborhood in south Kansas City.
The Star has reached out to the city and the victim’s family and attorney for further comment.
A senseless attack
On the day of the fatal attack, Culbertson, 46, had started his one-mile bike ride home from a friend’s house on Saturday, Nov. 2, when he was attacked in the 3200 block of East 80th Street in Kansas City by a pack of dogs. He told his sister, Angela Culbertson, at the hospital that he initially attempted to calm the dogs down and show he wasn’t a threat.
“I wouldn’t wish that on anybody,” Angela Culbertson said. “The tearing and the pooling (of blood) and the biting that my brother went through was horrendous. “
For 23 minutes, Culbertson was attacked on the street while screaming for help. A neighbor came out with a golf club hoping to scare the dogs off, but they turned on her and she received serious injuries.
Angela Culbertson, 43, saw security footage of the attack later from a neighbor. She said there were two additional pit bulls in the backyard who couldn’t get out of the fence, so the other seven dogs dragged him towards the fence line.
“It’s sickening,” she said.
Police and emergency professionals were able to eventually get the dogs to back away from Culbertson long enough for a medical professional to pull him to safety.
At the hospital, he received over 500 stitches. His cheeks and chin were ripped, and his heels and one toe were nearly torn off his feet. Had he not died Nov. 6, he would’ve needed to have his right hand and left leg amputated, live on dialysis and have a tracheotomy for the rest of life, according to his sister.
“Even if he made it with that percentage being so low, it wouldn’t be the life that he would want,” Angela Culbertson said.
Dog attack prompts city contract reckoning
After Culbertson’s death, the city council has been revisiting the contract that put KC Pet Project in charge of animal control for Kansas City. KC Pet Project’s agreement for animal control with the city is set to expire at the end of April.
The organization took over animal services for the city in 2020, after applying in 2018 along with one other organization. The nonprofit has run the city’s animal shelter since 2012.
On Jan. 30, the Kansas City Neighborhood Services Director presented a proposal to city council to bring animal control under city control again.
Amid the uncertainty, KC Pet Project’s CEO, Teresa Johnson, stepped down from the role in mid-December after 13 years on the job, along with two other high-ranking employees.
This story was originally published February 4, 2025 at 11:33 AM.
