On Friday, September 22, 2023, a resident of Unincorporated Largo stumbled upon a horrifying scene while walking along 134th Avenue near McKay Creek, just west of 121st Street. At approximately 1:45 p.m., the individual noticed an alligator with what appeared to be human remains in its mouth.
The resident attempted to deter the alligator by throwing rocks at it. To his astonishment, the reptile began to swim away, still clutching the gruesome find in its jaws. He hurried to his nearby residence to alert his mother.
Together, they made their way to Largo Fire Station 39 to report the distressing discovery. Largo Firefighters promptly contacted the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, which, in turn, notified the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The FWC dispatched an alligator trapper to the location to address the situation.
Efforts to retrieve the 13 foot 8.5 inch alligator from the canal bank were met with significant resistance. Consequently, the responders were forced to use lethal force, shooting the alligator twice to secure it. Once the alligator was safely removed from the canal, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team members entered the water to recover the human remains.
From the canal, authorities retrieved an adult human torso and reports suggesting the possibility of one or two additional limbs. The grim discovery has initiated a comprehensive examination, encompassing an inspection of the contents of the alligator’s stomach and a death investigation.
The Medical Examiner’s Office determined the victim to be 41-year-old Sabrina Peckham. The manner and cause of her death are pending, along with assessing the extent of the alligator’s involvement in the incident. The investigation remains ongoing.
Peckham, listed as a transient, was arrested for trespassing on July 19, 2023, in a posted county wetland property along the 12400 block of Ulmerton Road.
The road, which had been temporarily closed due to the incident, was reopened at approximately 5:30 p.m. once the initial response and recovery operations were concluded.
Any citizen concerned about an alligator should call FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-392-4286.
