Mich. boy killed and eaten by dog; mother and her boyfriend charged

LINCOLN PARK, Mich. - While 5-year-old Michigan boy Kyle Holland slept in his Lincoln Park home last July, he was killed and partially eaten by a dog believed to be part wolf.

The dog was kept inside the house.

Kyle's mother, Debralynn Holland, 29, and her live in boyfriend, Earl Adkins, 35, pleaded not guilty in 25th District Court Wednesday afternoon to several charges including manslaughter, reports CBS station WWJ.

The defense says it will focus on two key issues: that scientific data regarding these animals' temperament cannot conclusively predict behavior, and that the dog was not a hybrid wolf.

"I don't think there's going to be any proof, to my knowledge, that the animal was a dangerous animal," said Daniel Blank who is representing Adkins.

"I think the issue's going to be is it inherently dangerous as a result of whether it's a wolf hybrid or not, and we're going to be disputing that," he said.

Wayne County Prosecutor Raj Prasad said Kyle, who was physically disabled, was attacked and the animal ate his hip area.

Both Holland and Adkins are out on bond, and police say they face separate charges stemming from a dozen marijuana plants being grown in Adkins' basement.