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Pratt

Modesto police said Kelli Pratt wanted her feeble 65-year-old husband to have sex with her the night of Oct. 7.

When Arthur Pratt refused, police said, his 45-year-old wife held him down and bit him repeatedly during a savage attack that ultimately killed him.

Arthur, whose skin was riddled with more than 20 deep tooth marks, died Sunday at Doctors Memorial Center in Modesto -- six days after the attack.

Detective Sgt. Al Carter said Wednesday that Dr. Jennifer Rulon, a Stanislaus County forensic pathologist, believes that the case will be ruled a homicide and that the bites are the likely cause of death.

"He was able to dial 911 that night," Carter said. "We have a tape recording of him screaming while she was biting him. When officers arrived, he was screaming that he'd been assaulted. She fought with the officers and tried to bite them, too."

Arthur Pratt, who had been released from a hospital several days before the attack, suffered from diabetes, heart and circulation problems, and other health issues. While those ailments weakened his system, apparently they are not what killed him, Carter said.

An official ruling will have to await toxicology tests. Those tests, which are not expected back for at least several weeks, could reveal additional details about Pratt's death, such as whether the bites caused an infection that proved fatal.

Carter said he believes Pratt already was in a weakened condition and this put him over the edge. "His death was a direct result of being bitten," Carter said.

Kelli Pratt was booked the night of the attack on charges of elder abuse, domestic violence and assault on a police officer, Carter said. Wednesday, she was being held at the Public Safety Center with bail set at $50,000. A homicide charge is pending the toxicology results.

The Pratts lived in the 2700 block of Park Place. Carter said the county's Adult Protective Services had a file on Arthur Pratt, perhaps indicating some history of abuse, but those records were unavailable Wednesday.

"I've seen cases where dogs have bitten kids, and blood loss or infection led to death," Carter said. "I've never heard of anyone being bitten to death before."

Bee staff writer Ty Phillips can be reached at 578-2331 or [email protected].

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