The Texas man was a lifelong reptile lover who apparently had suicidal ideations.
Grant Thompson, the 18-year-old Texas man who was found dead in his car July 14 that launched a search for his missing monocled cobra (Naja kaouthia), died by suicide by snakebite, according to the Travis County Medical Examiner’s office report that was release this week.
According to USA Today, Thompson, who was right handed, had several bite marks on each of his arm, and the bites showed no sign that Thompson tried to pull away or escape as the snake bit him. There also was a bite mark high on his left shoulder, in what the medical examiner’s office concluded was consistent with someone who was right handed and wanted to get deliberately bit.
The examiners said that the bites “appeared to be intentional injection sites.” Thompson’s history was also looked into and the examiner determined that he had a “history of suicidal ideation.” In addition, Thompson had traces of marijuana and methamphetamines in his blood at the time of his death.
Thompson frequented an Austin pet shop so often that his mother bought the shop for him when he became a teenager and began working there shortly thereafter. He was known as the reptile guy around town and often showed exotic animals to children.
The monocled cobra is native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The snake grows to around 7-8 feet in length and are usually found in grasslands, scrublands and forests as well as human settlements and cities. It feeds on small mammals such as rodents, and other snakes.
