Lakeland police identified a man whose remains were found inside an alligator this week at Richard Zachary Taylor, 72.
Taylor, from South Carolina, had lived in Lakeland for about 10 years, Lakeland police spokesman Gary Gross said. He had no permanent address.
A man called 911 Tuesday to report a body floating in Lake Hunter, near Cresap Street. An alligator was trying to pull the body underwater, the man said in the 911 call.
Police officers found Taylor’s body in the alligator’s mouth. The alligator let go of the body and circled the area for a while. A trapper caught the 9-foot gator Tuesday night, and a necropsy later revealed some human remains inside the animal.
Taylor body was decomposing, and he was identified by his fingerprints.
Investigators do not know how Taylor died.
[email protected] or 407-420-5774