Dad jailed 16 years after newborn son was killed by family dog who bit him 180 times

Thursday, September 17, 2026 - A father has been sentenced to 16 years in prison after his newborn son was k!lled by their pet dog, who bit the baby at least 180 times in their Indiana home in the US.

The baby, Jason Anthony Weaver, was just a week old when he was killed by Chomp, a 5-year-old husky and pit bull mix.

The child reportedly sustained wounds across his head and body as well as major internal injuries, including brain hemorrhages, rib fractures, and tears in his lungs. 

According to the New York Post, Weaver’s dad, mom, and four other family members were arrested soon after the de@th in September at their trash- and bug-filled home in rural Markle, Indiana.

The dad, Austin Kinsey, claimed he’d been playing video games in the same room as the newborn was in, and left him only briefly to talk to other family members, according to a police report obtained by WPTA.

The baby’s grandfather, Timothy Kinsey, then heard the baby making noises and found the dog dragging the baby around the room.

Responding cops attempted CPR, but the newborn could not be saved. The officers also noted a “strong odor of animal, trash, and dirt everywhere”

The home, about 25 miles southwest of Fort Wayne, was overflowing with bugs, trash, dirty dishes, and dirty clothes, court documents state. Bugs were even found on the baby’s car seat, investigators noted, in the house that was ultimately vacated as being unfit to live in.

“There was so much trash and debris, officers could barely walk through the home,” one officer said in the report, obtained by the Daily Mail.

Family members described Chomp as being gentle with the week-old baby — but admitted the dog could be jealous, had been aggressive toward other animals and had bitten other people before, according to court documents. A family member said they kept a gun in the house specifically in case the dog acted up.

Chomp was later euthanized.

The newborn’s dad was initially charged with two counts of neglect and one count of harboring a non-immunized dog that caused an injury.

The highest-level neglect charge was dropped in a plea deal in exchange for a 16-year prison sentence, which was issued on Monday.

Violet Weaver, the child’s mother, is currently scheduled for a change of plea hearing later this month.

The cases remain active for grandparents Timothy Kinsey, Rita Wickey and Michael Wickey, as well as for the baby’s uncle, Tony Kinsey, who were all also charged.