Did a mountain lion kill a Texas man? Medical examiner and wildlife experts disagree
A Texas medical examiner's preliminary findings say a man found dead Thursday was killed by a wild animal, possibly a mountain lion, but state wildlife officials are disputing that report.
Christopher Allen Whiteley's body was found in a wooded area by deputies a day after he vanished near Lipan, 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth, according to the Hood County Sheriff's office. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner said Whiteley, 28, died from a wild animal attack, according to the sheriff's office.
On Sunday, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said its biologists, Texas Game Wardens, and subject matter experts inspected the scene and found no evidence of a predatory attack by a mountain lion. The parks and wildlife department said a U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services trapper reviewed the evidence and came to the same conclusion.
“It appears we have two conflicting reports from two agencies that are experts in their field,” the sheriff's office said in a statement Sunday.
Law enforcement is awaiting the final autopsy report, but the sheriff's office is standing by the preliminary finding from the medical examiner, which ruled out suicide and homicide.
The sheriff's office said investigators are taking pictures and statements from locals who have seen and captured on film images of mountain lions.
The state wildlife agency pointed out that fatal mountain attacks on people are extremely rare. Fewer than 30 people have been killed by mountain lions in the United States in the past 100 years, none of whom were killed in Texas.
The wildlife agency said there have been no confirmed records of a mountain lion from Hood County. A mountain lion was spotted on private property in Rowlett more than 100 miles away from where Whiteley was killed, but the agency said the sighting was considered unrelated.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas man killed by mountain lion? Medical, wildlife reports disagree
