A 504-pound alligator was captured in the area where a St. Tammany Parish man was last seen after he walked in floodwaters following Hurricane Ida, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana said.
The man, identified as Timothy Satterlee Sr., was last seen on August 30, . His wife told authorities that she heard a commotion and saw a large alligator attacking her husband.
St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith "vowed" that his agency "would use all of the resources and manpower available to bring some sort of closure to the family," .
For three weeks, crews from local and state agencies have been looking for Satterlee or the alligator that attacked him, and on Tuesday the agency found the 12-foot alligator they believe attacked the man.
The alligator was trapped and taken to a secure site to be searched, the sheriff's department said. "Once the alligator was searched, it was discovered to have what appears to be human remains inside its stomach. Investigators will work with the St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office to verify those remains belong to Timothy Satterlee," the statement said.
"This is a horrible tragedy and my sincere condolences and sympathy goes to the Satterlee family," Sheriff Smith said.
