A retired Leitchfield librarian, Karen Gillespie, was apparently mauled to death by a dog near her home in White Mills.

According to an autopsy done Thursday by Chief Medical Examiner Tracy Corey, Gillespie’s death was due to head injuries she received from a dog attack.

Hardin County Deputy Coroner John Clemens explained the majority of Gillespie’s injuries were head-related, and that she died shortly after the attack.

An investigation by Clemens showed that Gillespie died between 4:15-5 p.m. on November 24, but was not found until 9:15 a.m. on the following day. Gillespie was found near a neighbor’s home on Webb Mill Road in White Mills, adjacent to the property where the dog’s owners lived.

Gillespie had initially left her home on Tuesday to take photos of an old schoolhouse that had been torn down. When she did not return after several hours, the husband became suspicious. He reported his wife missing at around 7 p.m. Clemens added that a rescue squad went looking for Gillespie all evening, and into the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Kentucky State Police Detective Larry Walker said the dog will likely be euthanized within the next few days. A Fox News affiliate in Louisville identified the dog as an American Pit Bull breed.

The dog was owned by Howard Miller. Miller had allegedly placed signs on his property warning visitors about the dog. Additional reports indicate the dog might have attacked a census worker as well.

Charlotte Gower, who served on the library board from 1997 to 2006, said Gillespie was a librarian for the Grayson County Public Library (located on East Market Street in Leitchfield) for a number of years.

“She was a really progressive librarian,” Gower said. “She was always looking for innovative things for the library.”

Gillespie was 53 years old. Her last job before retirement was with the library in Leitchfield, where she worked there for over 10 years.