DRAGGED TO HER DEATH
Chilling bodycam footage shows 14ft alligator with swollen belly after killing and eating mom in Florida canal
A witness spoke out about the moment he knew something was wrong
SHOCKING bodycam footage has been released showing a 14-foot alligator with the body of a homeless woman in its swollen stomach.
Sabrina Peckham from Clearwater, Florida, was staying at an encampment in September 2023 when she was attacked by the alligator and dragged into a nearby canal.
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The 41-year-old woman's body was found in Ridgecrest after a resident called emergency responders after seeing a torso in the beast's mouth.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation and police have now released footage showing how teams captured the animal and retrieved Peckham's remains.
In the video, responders can be seen pulling the animal from the water before shooting it dead.
"Watch them, watch them," someone shouts as they secure the reptile with ropes and prepare to kill it.
The animal was "humanely killed" according to officials, with two gunshots.
Officers immediately surrounded the animal and taped its mouth shut while also using ropes and chains to get it out of the water.
The alligator's bloated belly was eventually slashed to retrieve some of Peckham's remains.
Other body parts were found in the canal by a specialist dive team.
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The mother was identified by her tattoos and it was noted in the sheriff's office report that state biologists believed she had not been inside the animal for very long as alligators are quick to process food.
Peckham's cause of death was officially ruled as blunt trauma and sharp force injuries.
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'MAN-EATER'
Jamarcus Bullard previously spoke out about the moment he saw the alligator while on a walk.
"I noticed it had a body in its mouth, like a lower torso, so once I saw that, I ran straight to the fire department and got them, they confirmed it was a body," Bullard told Fox News affiliate WTVT-TV at the time.
"I just can’t imagine her last moments being in the situation like that," the 21-year-old told Spectrum News affiliate Bay News 9 earlier this year.
"You got no help, nobody's around.
"It's like being attacked by a real-life monster. A man-eater."
"I feel so back for her family," he added, saying, "She seemed like a beautiful, nice lady and she was just out here trying to figure out her life."
I noticed it had a body in its mouth, like a lower torso.
Jamarcus Bullard
Peckham's daughter Breauana Dorris took to Facebook to share the events she believe led to her mother's death.
"My mother was a part of the homeless population that lived in the nearby wooded area," she wrote in the post.
"It is believed that she may have been walking to or from her campsite near the creek in the dark and the alligator attacked from the water.
"We expected to have many many more years with her."
"No one deserves to die like this," Dorris added.
The encampment where Peckham was believed to be staying was located just 35 to 45 feet away from the canal, according to FWC officials.
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Fencing has since been erected in the area by Pinellas County along with signs warning people to stay away from the water.
McKay Creek, the canal where the alligator was found is reportedly used by the reptiles to travel between Ridgecrest Lake and Taylor Lake, according to FWC.
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