Gator suspected of killing elderly man in Ida floodwaters captured

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Officials have captured an alligator they believe attacked and killed a 71-year-old man in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.

According to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies captured a 12-foot alligator, weighing just over 500 pounds in the Avery Estates area, near where Timothy Satterlee, Sr. was attacked and was reported missing by his wife on Mon., Aug. 30.

Deputies and other partners searched the area for two weeks, looking for Satterlee or the alligator that attacked him.

On Sept. 13., Sheriff Randy Smith says agents found an alligator in a waterway near where the incident occurred. The gator was caught in traps set by LDWF agents. Human remains were found in the gator’s stomach.

The coroner will determine if the remains belong to Satterlee.

“This is a horrible tragedy and my sincere condolences and sympathy goes to the Satterlee family. I know todays findings does not bring their loved one back, but hopefully this can bring them some sort of closure. 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. We will continue to keep them in our prayers,” Sheriff Smith said.

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