There are indications the pit bull may have been used for dogfighting. The dog apparently escaped from a pen on the property at the site of the attack. Other dogs later were removed from the property, where empty cages and a dog house now sit.
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The dog owner could face a depraved-heart murder charge or culpable negligence, Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith has said. Depraved-heart murder is defined as causing death by an act so reckless that it shows lack of regard for human life.
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Walter Ray Summers, a neighbor of the Binghams, said he has complained to local law enforcement several times about "fighting" dogs in the area, "but they seem to turn their heads. "They seemed concerned now, though," he said.
[Sheriff] McMillin said that, so far, his department has found only one documented call in the past year regarding pit bulls in the neighborhood.
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For his part, McMillin said he went before the Hinds County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to ask that county animal-control ordinances be strengthened.
"I want them to look at jurisdictions in other areas and come up with an ordinance they can work with.
"Everybody needs to be responsible for their animals," McMillin said.
What the law says:Hinds County has a "vicious dog" ordinance that is not breed specific. It requires the owner to securely confine dangerous dogs.
Animal control determines what constitutes a vicious dog, generally when the dog poses a threat to public safety and-or has injured a human.
If the dog is considered dangerous, then the owner must register the dog.
Violations are misdemeanors and can result in up to 90 days in jail and $3,000 in fines.
HINDS COUNTY, MS (WLBT) - The Mississippi Animal Rescue League believes it has the dog that attacked and killed six year-old Anastasia Bingham in Terry Friday. And the agency's director, Deborah Boswell, says the animal has physical scars and injuries consistant with a dog being trained to fight.