NEWPORT, Tennessee — The body of the Newport man found dead on April 1 bore all the signs of an animal attack, an autopsy report states.
An animal, apparently a dog, had bitten, chewed, and torn at Ahrens before death, the autopsy by the Regional Forensic Center in Knoxville showed.
"Scene investigation revealed scattered clothing, paw marks on the soft dirt, and scattered blood on the ground, which are consistent with an animal attack," the report states.
WBIR obtained a copy of the report Tuesday.
Ahrens was found dead about 12:40 a.m. April 1 in the yard of a home near Carnation Way and Jimtown Road, according to records.
That's near where Charles E. Owensby, 69, lives. Owensby, a dog owner, and trainer reported finding Ahrens' body, according to an incident report.
Ahrens is the first of two people who appeared to have been victims of an animal attack in the area. On July 12, authorities reported that a badly injured 29-year-old Amber Miller had been found in the same general area, screaming for help, with dogs standing near her.
Miller died of her injuries. An autopsy report showed that she had "extensive dog but injuries" with many of them found on her arms and legs. It also said there were multiple cuts around her head and neck consistent with dog bites, including puncture wounds along her right shoulder and around her abdomen.
It said she died from complications of multiple organ failure as a result of the dog attack.
On July 19, the Cocke County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant on Owensby's property at 522 Carnation Way. On July 28, they went to Owensby's ex-wife Cecilia McCarter's home in the Edwina community and served another search warrant.
An "aggressive dog" was taken into custody and Owensby was charged with marijuana possession. Investigators gathered DNA evidence from two other dogs on the property that belonged to other people who lived in residences on the property, according to Cocke County Sheriff Armando Fontes. Authorities also dug up a shallow grave containing a dog's remains and collect DNA samples for further testing.
Owensby has a pending felony domestic assault case in Cocke County for which he's due in court on Aug. 16. That case dates to 2018; it's alleged that he tried to strangle a woman who had repeatedly sought an order of protection against him.
AHRENS' AUTOPSY DETAILS
Dr. Christopher Lochmuller of the Forensic Center cites "multiple animal-induced injuries" as the reason for Ahrens' death.
He was found lying the night of April 1 on his right side with obvious soft tissue injuries. At least one animal also had torn his clothing.
His injuries included a ruptured vein in his left arm and another partly ruptured vein in the same arm. He also had numerous abrasions on his torso, neck, and head, and some puncture wounds on his head and neck, according to the report.
"Whether this was one animal or more than one animal and what type of animal is unknown," Lochmuller's report states.
The wounds appeared to have been inflicted before Ahrens died, according to the report.
Methamphetamine also was found in Ahrens' system, according to the report.