Missing Woman's Remains Found in Alligator's Jaws in Texas

Police in Texas remove an alligator after a a missing woman’s body was found in its jaws.

On Tuesday, the Houston Police Department discovered the remains of a woman in her 60s inside an alligator's jaws at Horsepen Bayou, Texas. The woman, whose identity has not been released, had been reported missing earlier that morning. She was last seen going for a walk around 7:30 PM on Monday and never returned home.

Patrol officers spotted the remains, prompting police to shoot and kill the alligator to prevent further damage. The Houston Police Department's dive team then recovered both the alligator's carcass and the woman's remains from the water.

The woman, believed to be in her 60s, was found dead along the banks of the Horsepen Bayou in Clear Lake around 8.40am Tuesday, less than 12 hours after she went missing. At least a dozen response officers are pictured at the scene

An autopsy will determine whether the woman was killed by the alligator or if she died from other causes before being consumed. "On May 28, Texas Game Wardens provided assistance to the Houston Police Department in the recovery of human remains found near an alligator," said Texas Parks and Wildlife law enforcement spokesperson Maggie Berger. "The woman's cause of death has not been determined. HPD is currently investigating the incident and will be the lead agency moving forward. Our thoughts are with the woman's family during this time."

A neighbor, Angela Derous, mentioned that alligators are common in the area, and residents are aware of the banks to avoid. "We see eight-feet, ten-feet babies. I know which banks to stay away from and where they like to lay in the sun," Derous told ABC 13. "That's the first time I've heard of that happening down here. It's a little scary."

The woman's body was found in the alligator's jaws near Coastal Oak Drive, not far from her Brook Forest Drive home. Officers are pictured at the scene on Tuesday

The last fatal alligator attack in Texas occurred in 2015 when a 28-year-old man was killed while swimming. Prior to that, it had been over 90 years since the last recorded fatal gator attack in the state.

While alligators are found in 13 states, they are most frequently associated with Florida. In September last year, a 41-year-old homeless woman in Florida was killed by an alligator, her body found in the gator's jaws as it walked down a residential street.