Couple Guilty on All Counts in Dog Maul Death

March 22 -- A San Francisco woman was convicted of murder and her husband was found guilty of lesser charges Thursday in the death of their neighbor, who was ripped to pieces by their dogs outside her apartment.

Marjorie Knoller faces 15 years to life in prison for her second-degree murder conviction in the death of neighbor Diane Whipple, 33.

Knoller, 46, and her husband, Robert Noel, were both convicted of involuntary manslaughter and owning a mischievous animal that caused a death.

Noel, 60, did not face a second-degree murder charge because he was not present at the time of the attack. He faces up to four years in prison for involuntary manslaughter. Ownership of a mischievous animal carries a penalty of up to three years in prison.

Knoller's conviction was the first murder in a dog-mauling case in California and was believed to be only the third of its kind inrecent U.S. history. Sentencing is scheduled for May 10 in San Francisco. The trial was moved to Los Angeles because of the intense publicity surrounding the case.

‘Justice Was Done Here’

Noel and Knoller, both lawyers, sat stoically as the first four verdicts were read. But as the court clerk read out the fifth and final guilty verdict, on the second-degree murder charge, Knoller winced and gasped. She breathed deeply while defense attorney Nedra Ruiz squeezed her shoulders.

After the verdict, Whipple's domestic partner, Sharon Smith, said she felt a level of closure and that she always thought second-degree murder was an appropriate charge in the case.

"There's no real joy in this, but I feel a level of justice was done for Diane today," said Smith. "It's been a long 14 months. It's a very emotional moment for me."

The mauling victim's mother, Penny Whipple-Kelly, said: "I feel justice was done here. … Marjorie, from what I could see, never took any responsibility until it was convenient for her to do so at trial. They had tried all along to blame my daughter, and anybody else that they possibly could instead of looking to themselves and I'm just glad that the verdicts came out the way that they did."