Houston, Texas Robin Jean Puryear, a 63-year-old retiree, left her Clear Lake City home one night and never returned.
The following morning, to the horror of the local community, Robin’s body was discovered in the mouth of a large alligator in Horsepen Bayou, just before a massive search was launched for the divorced mother-of-two.
The Harris County coroner has yet to determine Puryear’s cause of death after several weeks.
The crocodile was large and known by locals for rarely gathering in groups; it was shot dead by police officers when they found it to preserve evidence.
The strange and sad circumstances of this unusual event have raised many questions.
Robin’s body was found about a half-mile from her home in the Brookside Village neighborhood.
Robin lived in the home with her long-term boyfriend, 70, who has not been implicated in any wrongdoing by police.
What we didn’t know
KPRC 2 Investigative Team reached out and spoke with Robin’s son, Daniel Puryear.
Daniel is grown and lives just a few miles away from his mother’s house, but has been heartbroken since her death.
But he believes he knows what happened to his mother.
“No one killed my mother,” Danielle said emphatically in an exclusive interview with KPRC 2 Investigates.
Daniel then began speaking emotionally about his mother’s mental anguish, which her son said had led to her being hospitalized in early 2024 for having suicidal thoughts.
“I think for the most part it was quite complicated. She tried her best to recover but her recovery was very slow,” Danielle said.
In May 2023, Danielle said her mother attempted suicide by drowning in the same body of water, Horsepen Bayou.
“One occurred in Horsepen and the other occurred in Galveston Bay,” Daniel said.
Daniel detailed how his mother was stressed about finances and would obsess about running out of money, even though they lived in an affluent area, his son said. But his mother’s financial situation was generally good, his son said. Tensions within the family took a toll on Robin’s mental health, he said.
“She couldn’t swim. She’d tried before, but she’d come back every time. But not this time,” Daniel said.
Suicide prevention
Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States.
If you or someone you know is thinking about harming themselves, please call 988.
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