The human remains found inside a 12-foot alligator in the marsh near Slidell were confirmed to be from 71 YO Timothy Satterlee Sr., the man whose wife said she witnessed him being attacked by a gator then frantically left to seek help.
The St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office made the identification using DNA samples extracted from tissue in the remains, which they compared to samples from Satterlee’s sons. Investigators found 11 points of similarity, enough to indicate that the remains were those of Satterlee.
Officials also examined evidence of prior surgeries, including a rotator cuff operation, and dental records.
Satterlee’s death shocked the local community after Hurricane Ida pushing a high storm surge into low-lying areas such as Avery Estates, the subdivision east of Slidell.
The day after the Aug. 29 storm, Satterlee went outside his raised house to check on something in the shed behind it. His wife heard a splash, and told authorities she initially thought he had fallen into water rising from the nearby marsh. Instead, she saw her husband being attacked by an alligator.
She went to find something to help Satterlee fight off the gator but told authorities that when she returned, the reptile had ripped off his arm and he was unconscious.
She rowed away in a boat searching for a phone signal to call 911, and when she returned his body was gone.
