DALE COUNTY, Ala. (WDHN) — Officials have confirmed ten dogs that mauled a Dale County man to death Sunday have been euthanized.

The victim has been identified as Demarcus “Sam” McKenzie II, 27, of Skipperville.

At 9:15 a.m., Dale County Deputies rushed to the 5500 block of County Road 33 in the Skipperville community. When they arrived, they found McKenzie lying unresponsive in a driveway. He was later declared dead at the scene.

According to Sheriff Mason Bynum, McKenzie’s death was originally being investigated as a homicide after investigators found what looked to be a gunshot wound to the head, but after an investigation and several interviews were conducted, they found a lack of evidence to support this theory.

Investigators obtained a search warrant on the home and outside surveillance footage. In the video, investigators say McKenzie was seen leaving an acquaintance’s home when one of the homeowner’s dogs started becoming aggressive toward him.

Sheriff Bynum says McKenzie attempted to run away from the dog, but then 2-3 more dogs joined in on the pursuit, which forced McKenzie II to trip and fall near the base of his driveway. At one point in the video, 5-6 dogs are seen violently attacking and mauling McKenzie to death as he was trying to stand up.

Ten dogs were euthanized Monday morning.

Although this does not make this event any less tragic we hope this will allow the victim’s family to continue to grieve with a sense of closure. Late Saturday night, I met with the victim’s mother and family and provided them with our findings. We will continue with the investigative process and consult with Dale County District Attorney Kirke Adams on what steps to take as we move forward. 

Sheriff Mason Bynum, Dale County Sheriff

McKenzie’s body will be transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy.

Sheriff Bynum would like to thank the Ozark Police Department’s Criminal Investigative Division and Crime Scene Unit and ALEA’s SBI Dothan Office for their assistance in this investigation. 

This article has been updated to reflect the latest information released by the Dale County Sheriff’s Office on the incident.