Sometimes I worry that I forget just how fast life can change in an instant. My anxiety does a great job of reminding me every now and then, but truthfully it is hard to grasp just how drastically a life can be altered forever. No matter how much we plan and scrimp and save, disaster has a funny way of striking when you least expect it. But sometimes, even the most seemingly random incidents are actually not all that uncommon.
Something as simple as getting a dog bite actually happens roughly every 75 seconds, which is more than 1,000 times a day. Data from 2011 to 2021 shows that of those common bites, an average of 43 fatal dog attacks happen annually, according to DogBites.org. The last thing Lakesha Newsom probably thought on March 3, 2026, was that an incident involving several ferocious dogs would make her part of that harrowing statistic.
Tragically, the mom of three died on March 27, 2026, three weeks after the initial attack.
According to WREG, Newsome’s injuries were so severe, she had to have a leg and arm amputated because of an infection that quickly spread.
“At one point, they did stop attacking me. I guess they thought I was dead,” Newsom told the news outlet days before her condition dramatically worsened. “I was trying to land back on my feet, trying to get away from them, and once they noticed that, that’s when they started back attacking me again.”
“I know them dogs were trying to kill me, and I fought them as long as I could,” she continued, per WREG. “I just kept saying, ‘God, no. I shall live.’ This the first time, me looking at myself in full view. I didn’t even know my face was scarred up like this.”
Just a few days before Newsome died, police made an arrest in connection with the case.
The Holly Springs Police Department in Mississippi shared a news release on Facebook stating it had officially arrested 54-year-old Sandra Harris and slapped her with some pretty serious charges.
“Harris has been charged with Aggravated Assault – Manifesting Extreme Indifference to the value of Human Life,” the release read. “Following her arrest, Harris was processed at the Holly Springs Police Department and subsequently transferred to the Marshall County Sherriff’s Department where she is currently held.”
In the wake of Harris’ arrest, Newsome’s surviving family members are left with one major question after her death.
“We’re still trying to find the words to process this,” Newsome’s mother, Rosie Young, told WREG. “To have these dogs still alive, how fair is that? Why are they keeping these dogs from being put down? We lost Kesha.”
Newsome left behind 11-year-old twins and a 13-year-old.
It is unclear what breed of dogs were responsible for the attacks. Despite the arrest, Holly Springs Police Department ended its release noting that the investigation is still ongoing and encouraging anyone who has any information to come forward by contacting the department at 662-649-6228.
