- Houston police have not yet released the victim’s identity or cause of death.
The body of a missing Texas woman was found inside the jaws of an alligator while it was still eating her remains.
The woman, believed to be in her 60s, was found dead on the banks of Horsepen Bayou in Clear Lake around 8:40 a.m. Tuesday, less than 12 hours after she went missing.
Houston police officers had been searching the area for the missing woman when they discovered an alligator biting into her body.
An officer shot the animal to death to prevent it from causing further damage to the remains, the department reported. homicide division confirmed. A dive team then recovered the body and the alligator from the swamp.
Police have not yet released the identity of the victim and say the cause of death will be determined following an autopsy.
The woman, believed to be in her 60s, was found dead on the banks of Horsepen Bayou in Clear Lake around 8:40 a.m. Tuesday, less than 12 hours after she was last seen. Houston police officers had been searching the area for the missing woman when they discovered an alligator biting her body (file photo)
The victim’s husband reported her missing early Tuesday morning after last seeing her when she was out for a walk around 7:30 p.m. on Monday. She never returned home.
His body was found in the alligator’s jaws near Coastal Oak Drive, not far from his home on Brook Forest Drive. Khou-11 reported.
It is unclear at this time if the victim was killed by the alligator.
Photos captured by a Clear Lake resident show how at least a dozen responding officers were called to the swamp. Witnesses say police spent hours at the scene.
Texas game wardens assisted with recovery efforts, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Enforcement Division.
Angela Derous, who was fishing in the swamp Tuesday night, said ABC 13 that alligators reside in water.
‘They live down there. We see 8 and 10 foot babies. “I know which benches to stay away from and where they like to lie in the sun,” she explained. ‘This is the first time I’ve heard of that happening down here. It gives a little scary.’
Maggie Berger, spokesperson for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Law Enforcement Division, told the news outlet that Houston police are investigating the incident and “will be the lead agency moving forward.”
He added: “Our thoughts are with the woman’s family during this time.”
Authorities say fatal alligator attacks are very rare in Texas; the last was recorded in 2015, when a 28-year-old man died while swimming in Adams Bayou in Orange.
That incident was reported to be the first fatal alligator attack in more than 90 years.
