Memorial held for Pinellas County woman in alligator-involved death

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — The last week has been heart-wrenching for the family of 41-year-old Sabrina Peckham, who was discovered in the mouth of an alligator in Pinellas County.

Dozens gathered on Friday for a candlelight vigil in honor of Peckham.

Officials report her body was discovered in McKay Creek by 134th Avenue North in Largo.

Peckham is being remembered as a loving mother of two.

“It’s devastating to hear that you lost a loved one like that,” said Breauna Dorris, Peckham’s daughter.

The sheriff’s office said exactly how Peckham died is under investigation.

“It’s a lot harder knowing that your loved one didn’t get to pass peacefully or easy, that it was gruesome, and hard, and painful on her,” Dorris said.

Dorris said she became worried when she learned an alligator was found with human remains, especially since it was located close to the area where her mother lived.

“All you could do was hope and pray that it wasn’t her, but it was,” she said.

The alligator was spotted by Jamarcus Bullard, who was walking by on the sidewalk.

“I threw a rock at the gator just to see if it was really a gator and it was,” he said. “It was holding on to the lower part of the torso. [The alligator] just pulled it into the water into the lower canal on the other side of the lake.”

Peckham’s family is raising money for her funeral expenses via GoFundMe. 

Source: WFLA

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