A man was discovered dead inside his Maryland house, surrounded by cages containing more than 125 snakes, including highly dangerous spitting cobras and black mambas.
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David Riston, a 49-year-old father, was discovered dead in his Pomfret home on Wednesday, January 19, surrounded by his caged pets, some of which are so dangerous that keeping them as pets is prohibited in the United States.
Investigators are still trying to figure out if one of the snakes killed Riston.
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At around 6 p.m. on Wednesday night, Charles County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a home in the 5500 block of Rafael Drive in Pomfret after receiving a 911 call from a neighbor who said he went to check on the homeowner, whom he hadn’t seen since the day before, and saw him lying unresponsive on the floor through a window.
Police officials discovered 125 snakes in aquariums on racks inside the house.
There were no evident signs of foul play, according to the sheriff’s office, and Riston was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy.
The snakes included rattlesnakes, spitting cobras, black mambas – Africa’s most dangerous snakes – and a 14-foot-long Burmese python, according to Jennifer Harris, a spokesman for Charles County Animal Control.
A black mamba’s fast-acting venom may kill a human in just two drops by paralyzing the neurological system, while a spitting cobra can spray venom from its teeth into its victim’s eyes from 10 feet away, blinding them.
In the United States, both breeds are prohibited as pets.
According to Riston’s owner, all of the snakes in his home were well-cared for.
If any of the other snakes escaped, police had to reassure neighbors that the cold winter weather would kill them before they could get too far.
Chief Ed Tucker of Charles County Animal Control stated this is the largest private collection of snakes he has ever seen in his 30-year career.
