The criminal case tied to the fatal mauling of an 8-year-old DeLand boy is moving closer to trial more than a year after investigators alleged the dogs involved had repeatedly escaped before the deadly attack.
A Volusia County judge set new deadlines this week for prosecutors and defense attorneys to exchange evidence as the case against Amanda Bailey Franco and Brandy Hodil continues moving through pretrial proceedings, according to court records reviewed by HomeFetch.
Prosecutors must turn over their evidence to the defense by Aug. 14, while defense attorneys have until Sept. 16 to provide evidence to the state.
The two women face charges tied to the January 2025 death of Michael Millett, who investigators said was attacked by multiple loose dogs while riding his bicycle home from a nearby park.
The case drew statewide attention after investigators alleged the dogs had a history of getting loose and that evidence connected to the case was later deleted following Michael’s death.
According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, investigators accused Franco of deleting a Facebook account containing conversations with a neighbor discussing the dogs’ alleged behavior. Investigators also alleged Hodil deleted messages discussing the dogs being loose the night of the attack and searched online for information about deactivating social media accounts and Facebook Messenger.
Both women were later charged with evidence tampering in addition to charges tied to Florida’s dangerous dog laws.
The case has also intensified debate around Florida’s dangerous dog statutes and whether prosecutors have enough legal authority to pursue harsher criminal charges in fatal attacks involving dogs that had not previously been classified as dangerous.
When charges were announced last year, State Attorney William Scheiner said prosecutors could not pursue charges under Florida’s updated “Pam Rock Act” because the law took effect after Michael’s death.
Court records show the case is scheduled to return for a pretrial conference Sept. 14, with additional proceedings scheduled for Sept. 22.
