The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office announced in a Facebook post on Monday that human remains were found in an alligator’s belly. The alligator is suspected to be responsible for the death of seventy-one-year-old Timonthy Satterlee.
“This is a horrible tragedy, and my sincere condolences and sympathy goes to the Satterlee family. I know today’s findings (do) not bring their loved one back, but hopefully, this can bring them some sort of closure,” Randy Smith, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff, said.
“I am very proud of the hard, non-stop work of my deputies and the other agencies who assisted, and I hope their persistence in finding this alligator will help the family with coping with their loss.”
Satterlee went missing on August 30 after Hurricane Ida passed over the area. Satterlee’s wife witnessed the alligator attack and immediately sought out help. She says that she saw the alligator rip off her husband’s arm. United States Fish and Wildlife Service agents located the twelve-foot-long reptile and caught the animal with a trap.
Jeb Linscombe, a program manager for Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, says there are approximately two million alligators in the region.
“This alligator will not be out terrorizing or hurting to killing anyone else,” Captain Lance Vitter, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s office, said. “This proves once again how dangerous the waterways are, especially after a big storm.”
The coroner’s office is working to identify the remains.
