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Autopsy confirms Cocke County woman died from 'vicious dog attack' in July

Witnesses said Amber Miller, 29, was attacked by three dogs in a front yard. The autopsy said she is the second person found bitten and mauled at that address.

COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. — The Knox County Regional Forensic Center has confirmed a Cocke County woman found dead in July died from complications of multiple organ system failure following a "vicious dog attack."

Amber Miller, 29, told investigators at the hospital she fell into a bush on July 18, 2021. The autopsy narrative obtained by 10News this week showed a different story.

Witnesses told authorities three dogs attacked Miller in the front yard of 522 Carnation Way in Newport. Cocke County Sheriff's Office Detective Daniel Smith said they appeared to be a mastiff, cane corso, and a shepherd/pitbull mix.

"[Miller's] left upper extremity was amputated and approximately 42 percent of her skin was gone," the autopsy obtained by WBIR states. "The manner of death is accident."

A toxicology report showed Miller tested positive for multiple drugs including amphetamine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl at the time of her death. 

RELATED: 'Multiple animal-induced injuries': Autopsy details Newport victim's injuries in suspected attack

Still, the medical examiner ruled the extensive injuries from the animal attack are what ultimately led to her death. 

Miller was found in the same location where 52-year-old Tony Ahrens was found "mauled and bitten" back in April 2021.

The autopsy for Ahrens revealed investigators found "scattered clothing, paw marks on the soft dirt, and scattered blood on the ground" near the scene of attack, "all of which are consistent with an animal attack."

That's near where Charles E. Owensby, 69, lives. Owensby, a dog owner, and trainer, reported finding Ahrens' body, according to an incident report.

No one was arrested or charged by the Cocke County Sheriff's Office in the weeks after the attacks.

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