Identified! Houston- Female, 60s found deceased in alligator's mouth in bayou *Robin Jean Puryear*

[SherryLock]

5/28/2024- Houston police said that they are waiting autopsy results of a woman in her 60s who was found Tuesday morning in the jaws of an alligator in the Horsepen Bayou, near the 2700 block of Coastal Oak Drive, just west of El Dorado Boulevard.

Police were in the area for a woman who was reported missing. A HPD sergeant fatally shot the gator to prevent it from doing any more damage to the woman.

The HPD dive team then came to the scene and recovered the body and the alligator from the bayou.

The investigation is pending the autopsy results, including the manner of death.

Anyone with information in this case is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600.

MSN

 

[CrimeDawg123]

Oh my! Was she the woman reported missing? And people are urged to contact the homicide division? Curious case.

ETA I'm wondering is she got washed there by the recent rains and was already deceased by the time the alligator found her. We'll see.

 

[SherryLock]

Oh my! Was she the woman reported missing? And people are urged to contact the homicide division? Curious case.

Yes, she was reported missing Monday night (05/27/2024) and the body was found the next day, Tuesday morning (05/28/2024), by police officers who were searching for her.

I think the homicide division is listed as the contact department because it's apparently very rare for alligators to kill people. From the articles about this case, I read that alligators are typically shy and more likely to retreat than attack. (However, it is their breeding season now, which is March to May). Still, from what I read, there's only been one case of an alligator killing a human in Texas in the past 90 years. In 2015, a 28-year-old man was killed in Texas by an alligator attack while swimming in a bayou. So it appears they are treating this case as a homicide, for now at least.

I can't find any info. about who the woman is thought to be or who reported her missing. Which makes sense, because I'm sure they want to be sure the body's identity is officially verified, then have a chance to be sure the family is notified.

MSN

 

[CrimeDawg123]

Yes, she was reported missing Monday night (05/27/2024) and the body was found Tuesday morning (05/28/2024), by police who were searching for her.

I think it's likely she was murdered because it's very rare for alligators to kill people. They are typically shy and retreat rather than attack. (However, it is their breeding season now (March to May). Still, from what I read, there's only been one case of an alligator killing a human in Texas in the past 90 years. In 2015, a 28-year-old man was killed in Texas by an alligator attack while swimming in a bayou.

I can't find any info. about who the woman is thought to be or who reported her missing. Which makes sense, because I'm sure they want to be sure the body's identity is officially verified, then have a chance to be sure the family is notified.

MSN

Oh! I remember that case in 2015 - major Darwin award winner!

 

[worm]

Yes, she was reported missing Monday night (05/27/2024) and the body was found the next day, Tuesday morning (05/28/2024), by police officers who were searching for her.

I think the homicide division is listed as the contact department because it's apparently very rare for alligators to kill people. From the articles about this case, I read that alligators are typically shy and more likely to retreat than attack. (However, it is their breeding season now, which is March to May). Still, from what I read, there's only been one case of an alligator killing a human in Texas in the past 90 years. In 2015, a 28-year-old man was killed in Texas by an alligator attack while swimming in a bayou. So it appears they are treating this case as a homicide, for now at least.

I can't find any info. about who the woman is thought to be or who reported her missing. Which makes sense, because I'm sure they want to be sure the body's identity is officially verified, then have a chance to be sure the family is notified.

MSN

I’ve heard of a few cases where a murderer will try and dispose of a victim in hopes of alligators making a body disappear.

 

[SherryLock]

Here's an update, if we trust the Daily Mail:
The woman has been identified, had three DUI arrests, and a second husband or live-in partner, who neighbors say appears to have abandoned the home since her death. The cause of death hasn't yet been released.

ETA: The article first states the the deceased lady had one children, then it says she had two children...

Exclusive: Identity of woman found dead in jaws of alligator revealed

DailyMail.com can now exclusively reveal the identity of the woman whose lifeless body was found in the jaws of an alligator in Houston. Her death remains a mystery.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[CrimeDawg123]

Here's an update, if we trust the Daily Mail:
The woman has been identified, had three DUI arrests, and a second husband or live-in partner, who neighbors say appears to have abandoned the home since her death. The cause of death hasn't yet been released.

Exclusive: Identity of woman found dead in jaws of alligator revealed

DailyMail.com can now exclusively reveal the identity of the woman whose lifeless body was found in the jaws of an alligator in Houston. Her death remains a mystery.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Wow. This is possibly the worst written article I've ever seen. I can't believe this person is a professional or even an English speaker for that matter (not that there's anything wrong with being a non-English speaker but writing for the DM is perhaps not the best career choice...).

And to refer to a woman as a "trust fund divorcee mother of two", and they are proud they can "exclusively reveal" that. WTH? I also take offense at showing her mugshot for a DUI arrest. Her DUIs may or may not have anything to do with her death and it seems to me at this point, more respect should be shown to this dead woman.

Geez.

 

[Magnum P.E.]

Oh! I remember that case in 2015 - major Darwin award winner!

Go for a swim in a bayou where gators live….what could go wrong?

 

[SherryLock]

Wow. This is possibly the worst written article I've ever seen. I can't believe this person is a professional or even an English speaker for that matter (not that there's anything wrong with being a non-English speaker but writing for the DM is perhaps not the best career choice...).

And to refer to a woman as a "trust fund divorcee mother of two", and they are proud they can "exclusively reveal" that. WTH? I also take offense at showing her mugshot for a DUI arrest. Her DUIs may or may not have anything to do with her death and it seems to me at this point, more respect should be shown to this dead woman.

Geez.

I agree with all of your statements. But I have to say I've seen many poorly written articles on these cases. Sometimes it seems like they're all just running to the keyboard to be the first to put out news, with speed of release hugely taking precedence over quality.

IMO I guess the Daily Mail would be considered a "tabloid," not always scoring high on class or appropriateness. But I've also seen them post news on cases before the other news sources and more insider details than the other news sources too, which may be just two sides of the same coin.

All I can figure is: (1) They might be able to take more chances legally than the other news outlets for some reason. (2) Willing to trade higher standards for higher profits. (3) They might also pay more for information, to get more insider info. ALL MOO

 

[victoriarobinson642]

I agree with all of your statements. But I have to say I've seen many poorly written articles on these cases. Sometimes it seems like they're all just running to the keyboard to be the first to put out news, with speed of release hugely taking precedence over quality.

IMO I guess the Daily Mail would be considered a "tabloid," not always scoring high on class or appropriateness. But I've also seen them post news on cases before the other news sources and more insider details than the other news sources too, which may be just two sides of the same coin.

All I can figure is: (1) They might be able to take more chances legally than the other news outlets for some reason. (2) Willing to trade higher standards for higher profits. (3) They might also pay more for information, thereby sometimes getting more insider info. ALL MOO

I consider them far more of a tabloid than a reputable news source, TBH.

 

[quibble]

I agree with all of your statements. But I have to say I've seen many poorly written articles on these cases. Sometimes it seems like they're all just running to the keyboard to be the first to put out news, with speed of release hugely taking precedence over quality.

IMO I guess the Daily Mail would be considered a "tabloid," not always scoring high on class or appropriateness. But I've also seen them post news on cases before the other news sources and more insider details than the other news sources too, which may be just two sides of the same coin.

All I can figure is: (1) They might be able to take more chances legally than the other news outlets for some reason. (2) Willing to trade higher standards for higher profits. (3) They might also pay more for information, to get more insider info. ALL MOO

Called The Daily Wail/Fail in the UK.

 

[azure]

Obituary for Robin Jean Puryear: Robin Jean Craig Puryear - Crowder Funeral Home

 

[MAHBOOBOO]

‘No one murdered my mother’: Son reveals mother’s mental health struggles before alligator incident

Robin Jean Puryear, 63, a retiree, left her Clear Lake City home one night and never made it back.

www.click2houston.com

"The Harris County Medical Examiner, weeks later, has not determined how Puryear’s died."

A few snippets of the comments made by the victim's son, Daniel:

"Daniel then commenced with an emotional recounting of his mother’s mental health struggles. She had been hospitalized earlier in 2024 for suicidal thoughts, her son said.

In May 2023, Daniel said that his mother had attempted suicide by drowning in the same body of water, Horsepen Bayou.

“One involved Horsepen and another was in Galveston Bay,” Daniel said. Daniel recounted a detailed story regarding his mom’s stress regarding her finances. Even though she lived in a well-to-do neighborhood, she was fixated on running out of money, her son said. However, her son said her finances were largely in order. Tensions within the family did not help Robin’s mental health, he said.

“She couldn’t swim. She made previous attempts beforehand. But every time she would come back. This time she didn’t come back,” Daniel said.

 

[SherryLock]

Last I heard, this case was being treated as a homicide. Anyone with info. was told to contact the Houston Police Homicide Division, and of course they're still doing the forensics on the body, which means the investigation is not complete. So I'm wondering why the son would be allowed to have a suicide note in his possession at this point, as stated on the Chanel 2 news interview. ???

 

[SherryLock]

Last I heard, this case was being treated as a homicide. Anyone with info. was told to contact the Houston Police Homicide Division, and of course they're still doing the forensics on the body, which means the investigation is not complete. So I'm wondering why the son would be allowed to have a suicide note in his possession at this point, as stated on the Chanel 2 news interview. ???

ETA: In other words, my understanding is that in a reported suicide with unusual circumstances that's being investigated, as this one is, the police would take a suicide note as important evidence, to be analyzed and retained until the end of the investigation.

 

[SherryLock]

The Harris County forensics site showed a form that listed "pending" cause of death info. for Robin Puryear, for weeks. Now the information for Robin Puryear appears to be gone from the site entirely. I don't know what that means, if anything.

Case Status

 

[SherryLock]

The form is back up now and it's the same as it was before.

 

[SherryLock]

Okay, the cause of death still hasn't been reported yet but there have been a couple of changes on the case status and I'm wondering what they mean.

Here's the "old" case status:

Case Num​	Last Name​	First Name​	NOK Relationship​
ML24-2110​	PURYEAR​	ROBIN​	SON​

Certificate of Death*​	Cause of Death Pending​	Certificate of Death Amendment​	EDR​
Ready​	Yes​	Not Ready​	44445911337​

Manner of Death​	Place of Death​	Report Completed​	Ready for Transport​
Pending​	BAYOU HOUSTON TX​	No​	Transported​

Date of Death​	Primary Cause of Death​	Contributory Cause of Death​
5/28/2024 8:24:00 AM​

And here is the new case status:

Case Num​	Last Name​	First Name​	NOK Relationship​
ML24-2110​	PURYEAR​	ROBIN​	SON​

Date of Death​	Manner of Death​	Primary Cause of Death​	Contributory Cause of Death​
5/28/2024 8:24:00 AM​	Pending​	Pending​	​

Report Completed​	EDR​	Certificate of Death Amendment​	Ready for Transport​
No​	44445911337​	Not Ready​	Transported​

There are a couple of small differences between the old and new case statuses, above.

Most notably imo, the "Place of Death" originally said "Bayou, Houston, TX." Now, no place of death is listed.

What I'm wondering: Does that mean they've now determined that she did NOT die in the bayou (meaning, she was put into the bayou AFTER she died)?

Website below:

Case Status

 

[SherryLock]

Also, I was confused by "Manner of Death" vs. "Cause of Death," which there are also some small changes on in the earlier and new case statuses above. For those who don't know, apparently:

Manner of Death: Describes the way in which a death occurs, which may be Homicide, Suicide, Accidental, Natural or Undetermined.

Cause of Death: The underlying cause of death can be grouped into three categories: Communicable (such as infectious or parasitic diseases, maternal, perinatal, and nutritional conditions). Noncommunicable, such as chronic diseases; and Injuries.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

Last I heard, this case was being treated as a homicide. Anyone with info. was told to contact the Houston Police Homicide Division, and of course they're still doing the forensics on the body, which means the investigation is not complete. So I'm wondering why the son would be allowed to have a suicide note in his possession at this point, as stated on the Chanel 2 news interview. ???

Is he her only child? Just curious. TIA