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Woman found dead in home with snake around her neck

JColt

JColt

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OXFORD, Ind. (WTHR) - Indiana State Police are investigating a woman's death after she was found with a python around her neck.

Benton County Sheriff's Deputies responded to 609 North Dan Patch Drive shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday on a report of an unresponsive woman.

Deputies arrived to find a 36-year-old woman on the floor with an 8-foot python wrapped around her neck.

Medics pronounced the woman dead.

Police say there were 140 snakes in the home and the woman owned 20 of the snakes.

Police describe the home as a home built for reptiles.

An autopsy is scheduled for Friday to determine the woman's cause of death.

https://www.wthr.com/article/woman-found-dead-home-snake-around-her-neck
 
Little more info

An 8-foot python was coiled around the neck of a woman found dead inside a home filled with 140 snakes in Oxford, Indiana, police said.

The home is owned by Benton County Sheriff Donald E. Munson, property records show. IndyStar left a message for Munson with Benton County dispatchers on Thursday.

Benton County Sheriff's Department officers found the body of Laura Hurst, 36, of Battle Ground, Ind., in a snake-filled home in the 600 block of North Dan Patch Drive shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday, Indiana State Police Sgt. Kim Riley said. The community is located about 25 miles northwest of Lafayette.

An 8-foot long reticulated python was loosely coiled around Hurst's neck, Riley said. Medics tried unsuccessfully to revive her.

Hurst owned about 20 of the about 140 snakes that were kept at the home. Riley said she visits the home about twice a week. No one lives in the home, which Riley said is "made for the keeping of snakes."

Riley said the snake may have caused the woman's death, but it was too soon to know for sure on Thursday.

An autopsy was expected to be performed Friday.
 
Sad. Unfortunately it's all too easy to get complacent when you deal with these snakes every day.
 
That is sad. I hope they do a fair autopsy.

Retics are so strong, I cannot pull one of the 8-10's out of their cage if they don't want to go (with my puny little arms), there's no way I would handle one 8'+ without backup/assistance.
 
I read the article on yahoo news.
I also read the comments. It is both enlightening and discouraging to see the vitriol that the general public displays towards snakes, and towards the people who keep them.
 
Yep, you can have 5 million competent keepers and 1 moron to that makes the 5 million look incompetent.
 
JColt said:
Yep, you can have 5 million competent keepers and 1 moron to that makes the 5 million look incompetent.
Click to expand...

I won't go quite so far as to call her a moron. An accident, or poor judgement might be more accurate. We don't know exactly how it happened, but I'll readily admit to having handled snakes of that size, and larger, while alone. Maybe that was a mistake on my part, but I'm sure there are many other keepers who have done the same.
But it's disappointing to see how the general public views us as weirdos, idiots, how she got what she deserved, and the number of people who think that keeping "exotics" should be totally banned. Maybe someday it will be- and for no valid reason, other than so many people simply don't understand it, therefore they oppose it.
This happens every time something newsworthy happens in the herp keeping world. I know I shouldn't waste my time on the comments section, but I can't help myself.
 
Herpin Man said:
I won't go quite so far as to call her a moron. An accident, or poor judgement might be more accurate.
Click to expand...

Not specifically calling her a moron but it was a stupid moment that puts bad light on herp keepers. I still in the back of my mind wonder if the sheriff dept employee had something to do with it? Killed her and blame it on reptile? Far fetched or maybe not?
 
I figured I would respond to this having closer relation to the situation than most. She made a fatal judgmental error. Not a moron. It’s an obscure situation and you know how media likes their “good” story! Without diving into her background too much, she was a mother of younger kids in the process of divorce hearings. Maiden name, Perdue. Last name will be familiar to some. Empathy is a good thing as there are no winners here. Not the kids, her family, her, nor anyone keeping reptiles in the state of Indiana or anyone elsewhere for that matter. Regarding cause of death, asphyxiation is correct. Blood carries oxygen. No blood, no oxygen. Foul play? Wouldn’t be unheard of, but until anything else presents itself, speculation at best.
 
My niece knew of her. Sad that it happened. I preach to everyone about not putting a large constrictor around neck and especially when alone. It is just not a smart thing to do. I cringe just like when I see someone free handling a venomous. Only takes one time. I do hope they come up with an estimated time of death and when she was discovered.
 
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