Nearly six months after 71-year-old Doreen Broadbelt was killed while walking to her early-morning Walmart shift in Miami Gardens, her family says they are still stuck on the same haunting question: which animal fatally mauled their mother. New lab results, they say, have only deepened the mystery and kept neighbors on edge near a local elementary school.
DNA Tests Come Up Empty, Family Says
Relatives say Miami Gardens police told them that DNA swabs taken from neighborhood dogs did not match the DNA recovered from Broadbelt’s body. According to the family, officers also indicated they were considering swabbing additional animals as the investigation continues. One detective, they say, even raised the possibility that coyotes, rather than owned dogs, could have been involved. Those details were reported by the Miami Herald.
What Investigators Have Done So Far
Broadbelt was found with fatal bite injuries on the 1400 block of Northwest 196th Terrace near Norwood Elementary School on Labor Day morning. The Miami-Dade medical examiner later ruled her death a dog mauling, as reported by NBC 6 South Florida.
Within days of the attack, Miami Gardens police and Miami-Dade Animal Services canvassed the neighborhood, released photos of dogs that investigators said might be involved, and swabbed animals for DNA. The release of the dog photos and the forensic work in the neighborhood were covered by CBS Miami.
Family’s Grief and Worries for Kids
Relatives say learning there was no DNA match was crushing. One family member described the news as feeling like “I felt like they killed my sister again,” and the family remains especially worried that children still walk the same route where Broadbelt was attacked. As they wait for further lab results, relatives have held a candlelight vigil and launched fundraising efforts to help cover funeral costs. Those accounts were detailed in reporting by the Miami Herald.
Legal Implications…