Recruiter’s son mauled to death by dogs
By John Hoellwarth - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jul 26, 2007 18:32:37 EDT

The infant son of a Marine recruiter assigned to the recruiting station in Florence, Ala., was mauled to death by another recruiter’s dogs while he napped in a back bedroom during a barbeque hosted by the dogs’ owner in Cookeville, Tenn., on July 23, recruiting officials confirmed Wednesday.

Staff Sgt. Christophe Paeth’s 11-month-old son was found bloodied and unresponsive in his playpen and transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. Blood was found on two Siberian Huskies owned by Staff Sgt. Allen McCaffrey, also a recruiter assigned to Florence.

McCaffrey’s dogs are now dead, according to local news reports.

First Lt. Staci Reidinger, a spokeswoman for Marine Corps Recruiting Command’s 6th District, said no arrests are expected in connection with the incident.

Paeth joined the Florence recruiting station recently and is in the process of completing his initial job training there. His command “is doing everything they can to support this family,” Redinger said.

“Nobody realized something like this could or would happen. The recruiting station’s sympathies are with the family and they’re trying to give [Paeth] the time he needs to work through the grief with his wife,” she said.

Ellie