Authorities in Texas say officials have determined a man missing for months was devoured by his own pack of aggressive dogs.
According to KTVT, 57-year-old Freddie Mack was known as a recluse during his life, but family members became worried after weeks went by without any word from him.
In early May, Mack’s relatives contacted the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office to report that he apparently disappeared after April 19.
Investigators attempted to search his home near Venus at that time but encountered 18 dogs nearby, as reported by the New York Post. Relatives noted that he would not typically leave the animals unattended. After they were finally able to check some sections of the property via drone, deputies reported that there was no sign of the missing man.
Mack was subsequently declared a missing person. New developments point to the dogs found on the premises as the cause of his disappearance.
When officers performed a second search of the home, reports indicate they recovered bone fragments that were then processed through the medical examiner’s office. Yet another more thorough search came after a total of 16 dogs were removed from the property.
Additional evidence found that day reportedly included hair, fabric and more bone fragments. Fabric was also reportedly discovered in the animals’ feces. While they are confident the dogs ate their owner’s body, Sheriff Adam King said it is not clear whether they killed him or one of the “serious medical conditions” from which he suffered.
“Either way, it is a very gruesome event,” King said, extending sympathy to Mack’s loved ones.
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[Featured image: Freddie Mack, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office]
