A Florida man who was found partially eaten by an 11-foot alligator died from a methamphetamine overdose prior to the feeding, according to an autopsy.
Earlier this year, 45-year-old Michael Ford was found lying face down in a Polk County canal. His body was torn apart by the reptile, the stomach of which contained Ford’s left hand and right foot.
The Floridian was found naked, and investigators did not find any clothes at the scene of the death or in a nearby car.
District medical examiner Stephen Nelson said in an autopsy report that Ford’s death was likely because of a drug overdose.
“It is my opinion that Michael Glenn Ford II died as a result of a methamphetamine intoxication,” Nelson said. “The manner of death is accident.”
“The decedent’s injuries and amputations lack sufficient associated blood to suggest they were made while alive,” he added.
