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<\/p>\nA 59-year-old veteran was mauled to death by dogs on Jacksonville’s Westside in 2024. Nearly two years later, a man has been arrested for manslaughter in the case.<\/p>\n
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 Closing in on two years later, a 59-year-old veteran has been identified in a grisly dog-mauling homicide on Jacksonville\u2019s Westside.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, May 19, the Sheriff\u2019s Office announced that 62-year-old Melvyn Souffrount was charged with manslaughter for his role in the Aug. 31, 2024, death of Ronald Edward Coffman Sr.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Little had been released in the investigation at a property in the 6800 block of Ricker Road other than an adult male was located near the roadway and the case was pending. But TV news reported that the next day police were back at the same spot seizing numerous dogs from around the property and that neighbors said they saw them with shovels. \u00a0<\/p>\n
The Sheriff\u2019s Office now has stated the victim suffered multiple dog bites. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFollowing a lengthy investigation, it was\u00a0determined\u00a0that\u00a0Souffrount\u2019s\u00a0multiple and repeated negligent actions and failure to act, led to the victim\u2019s death,” the Sheriff’s Office said.<\/p>\n
While awaiting for the arrest report, the Times-Union linked the case to another arrest of Souffrount\u2019s grandmother. On Jan. 21, 2025, 86-year-old Mary Irene Smith, who owns the property, was charged with tampering with evidence. Court records show she pleaded guilty on Jan. 8 and will be sentenced in June. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Her arrest report states that on the morning of the discovery, \u201cM.S.\u201d (Souffrount) had called 911 saying he discovered the body when coming home attempting to enter his driveway. When officers arrived, they noted several dogs going to and from the property and jumping over chain-link fences.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The victim was in the dirt near the driveway \u201ccovered in countless injuries from head to toe.\u201d He was unidentifiable and completely nude. There was a \u201cVeteran\u201d ball cap and one flipflop nearby but nothing to identify him.<\/p>\n
Souffrount said he didn\u2019t know who he was, and Smith told officers she didn\u2019t know anything other than what her grandson told her, according to the report.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another woman approached the scene and stated she believed him to be one of her roommates, \u201cR.C.\u201d (Coffman). They lived within walking distance on Macbeth Road. She said the two of them went to a nearby Family Dollar at 8 p.m. and then made several stops to purchase narcotics, according to the report. She then dropped him off at a new subdivision being built so he could \u201cdumpster dive\u201d and never saw him again. Security video at the Family Dollar corroborated the account and also showed Coffman wearing the \u201cVeteran\u201d cap and sandals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Medical Examiner\u2019s Office confirmed his identity and that it was an animal attack but also deemed it accidental at the time. During a follow-up search warrant at the Ricker property, Smith made a redacted statement contrary to what she initially told police, according to the document. This led to detectives finding a box with the victim\u2019s wallet and clothes ripped and shredded, consistent with an animal attack. His cell phone also was located buried in the dirt where his body was found.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eight pit bulls were\u00a0located\u00a0on the property, and Smith\u00a0confirmed\u00a0they were hers and agreed to surrender them to Animal Care and Protective Services, where they were euthanized.\u00a0She said the first was a stray that she fed and then the \u201cmama\u201d showed up and became pregnant and had puppies. She said the dogs were gentle to her and\u00a0Souffrount\u00a0but \u201capparently not to other people.\u201d She also\u00a0confirmed\u00a0there had been\u00a0a couple of\u00a0complaints\u00a0about them and revealed\u00a0she did examine the body with her grandson and panicked.<\/p>\n
\nWhat did the dog-mauling manslaughter arrest report say? <\/p>\n
On May 20 the Times-Union obtained Souffrount’s arrest report from the Sheriff’s Office. Many of the details were repeated from Smith’s arrest report and also substantially redacted for investigative purposes under the law.<\/p>\n
New information included a documented history in which both Animal Control and the Sheriff’s Office issued warnings to Souffrount regarding the dogs escaping the property and attacking people.<\/p>\n
The report also noted there was a report of a written warning placed on the fence of the property by Animal Care and Protective Services.<\/p>\n
“The history indicates Souffrount received all of the documented warnings and contacts,” the report stated.<\/p>\n
In one of the complaints on July 13, 2024, about a month and a half before Coffman was killed, officers were flagged down by passersby who witnessed the dogs attacking an individual.<\/p>\n
“The officers responded to the area and physically observed the dogs escape the property by jumping over the chain-link fence on the north side of the property that divided Ms. Smith’s driveway from the neighbor to the north,” according to the report. “The officer contacted Souffrount via phone and provided verbal warnings to Souffront. Souffrount stated to the officer via phone, ‘I’ll take care of it right away? I’ll start chaining them up.'”<\/p>\n
“The officer further stated, ‘I highly advise you to get this fixed,'” according to the report. “Souffrount then stated, ‘I am going to put a fence up as soon as I get home.’ The officer explained the circumstances more and Souffrount confirmed, ‘Like I said, I will put fencing on it today.'”<\/p>\n
Souffrount remained in jail in lieu of $500,000 bail as of the afternoon of May 20. The Public Defender’s Office, which has a policy not to comment on open cases, has been assigned to represent him.<\/p>\n