JEROME, Fla. (WFLA) — The partial remains of an 89-year-old Florida man were found in one of the bears Florida Fish and Wildlife officials captured earlier this week following the first deadly bear attack in the state’s history .
In a press release on Friday, FWC officials said preliminary findings confirmed that a 263-pound male bear contained the remains of Robert Markel, a longtime Collier County resident who was found dead Monday morning. The bear’s DNA was found on Markel, inside his trailer and on the dog’s body. The Collier County Medical Examiner is still working to complete their investigation.
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Investigators said there was evidence indicating a physical encounter between the bear and Markel near his trailer, a dog recently killed by a bear near Markel, and signs that the bear had entered the trailer itself. However, the order of events remains unclear, according to the FWC.
Just after 7 a.m. on May 5, Markel was found dead nearly 100 yards from his dog in Jerome , located south of Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area. After Markel’s dog was found dead in the front driveway, a search ensued for the man…