In a chilling discovery, the remains of a woman who had gone missing were found in the mouth of an alligator in the Horsepen Bayou vicinity near Houston, Texas. The woman, estimated to be in her 60s, had gone out for a walk around 7:30 p.m. on May 27, 2024. Her remains were discovered by the Houston police the next morning at approximately 8:40 a.m.
The Houston Police Department (HPD) was already involved in an active search for the woman when they stumbled upon the disturbing scene. Her remains were located along the banks of the Horsepen Bayou near El Dorado and Park Estates. An HPD sergeant fatally shot the alligator to prevent additional damage to her remains, which were then retrieved by the department’s dive team. Investigations are still underway to establish the woman’s identity and the exact cause of her death.
Alligators are a common sight in the bayou regions around Houston, and locals are familiar with their presence. Angela Derous, a local resident, said, “We see alligators that are eight to 10 feet long. I know which areas to avoid and where they usually bask in the sun. This is the first time I’ve heard of such an incident happening here. It’s quite unsettling.”
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) aided HPD in the recovery operation. “Our sympathies are with the woman’s family at this time,” conveyed Maggie Berger, a spokesperson for the TPWD’s Law Enforcement Division.
Despite the frequency of alligator sightings, attacks in Texas are quite rare. According to TPWD records, the most recent fatal alligator attack in the state took place in 2015 in Orange, Texas, where a 28-year-old man lost his life while swimming in Adams Bayou. This was the first fatal incident in over nine decades.
While these reptiles generally steer clear of humans, an increasing alligator population raises the probability of human encounters.
The TPWD underscores the need for safe cohabitation with alligators, recommending against swimming at dusk, dawn, or night when alligators are most active. They also advise keeping pets leashed near water bodies and refraining from feeding alligators, as this can lead to increased aggression due to the loss of their natural fear of humans.
The investigation into the woman’s demise is still in progress. Authorities are looking to ascertain if the alligator was directly responsible for her death or if she had already passed away from other causes before the reptile found her.
