Missing woman’s remains found ‘in the jaws of an alligator’ in Texas bayou, cops say

The jaws of an alligator unveiled the remains of a missing woman, Texas authorities say.

Officers in Houston were searching the area of Horsepen Bayou on Tuesday, May 28, when they made the discovery, according to a news release. The woman was reported missing earlier that day when she went for a walk the previous night and did not return, police told KHOU.

“HPD patrol officers located the remains of a woman in the jaws of an alligator,” police said, indicating the woman was in her 60s. She has not been publicly identified as of Wednesday morning.

The alligator was fatally shot by a police sergeant “to prevent it from doing more damage to the remains,” police said.

It’s unclear if the woman died before or after the alligator got to her. An autopsy will determine her cause of death.

There has not been a fatal alligator attack in Texas since 2015, KTRK reported. Before that, it had been nearly a century.

In a statement to McClatchy News, a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department spokesperson said Texas Game Wardens assisted in the recovery of the woman’s remains.

“Our thoughts are with the woman’s family during this time,” the spokesperson said.

This story was originally published May 29, 2024 at 9:07 AM with the headline "Missing woman’s remains found ‘in the jaws of an alligator’ in Texas bayou, cops say."