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The St. Tammany Parish coroner confirmed that an alligator ate the missing 71-year-old man last seen in the floodwaters from Hurricane Ida.
Charles Preston confirmed that 71-year-old Timothy Satterlee was killed by an alligator after it was caught and euthanized. The remains of Satterlee from the alligator’s stomach were tested, and it was indeed the missing man, The Hill reported.
Officials captured the 12-foot, 504-pound alligator in September.
The man was bitten by the alligator a day after Hurricane Ida slammed the state. His wife went to get help, but he was swept away in the water while she was gone.
“That the alligator was recovered from where he [Satterlee] was last seen, and that it was that close of a match, I felt comfortable for the family’s standard to say yes, this is Mr. Satterlee, yes, we are going to issue a death certificate, and yes, you can begin that process of trying to settle the estate,” Preston said.
If the alligator weren’t captured, Satterlee wouldn’t have been able to be confirmed dead for five years. Under Louisiana law, a coroner cannot declare someone dead until they have been missing for that amount of time.
“You can imagine the burden that would put on his widow to try and manage the affairs,” Preston added.
“This is a horrible tragedy and my sincere condolences and sympathy goes to the Satterlee family,” St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith said when the alligator was caught. “I know today’s findings does not bring their loved one back, but hopefully this can bring them some sort of closure.”
