Charles County resident who owned over 100 snakes discovered dead in home by police; Cause of death snake bite

A snake bite killed a Charles County man who was discovered dead inside a residence earlier this year with more than 100 poisonous and non-venomous snakes, some of which were prohibited.

Officers rushed to the single-family home on the evening of January 19 after receiving a contact from a neighbor who was trying to check on the resident. When officers came, they discovered David Riston, 49, comatose on the floor.

On Wednesday, April 13, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner told 7News that; “The cause of death for David Riston is snake envenomation, and the manner of death is accidental.”

The Charles County Chief of Animal Control says in his 30 years of doing this, he’s never seen anything like it. The snakes were very meticulously kept, you can tell he knew what he was doing < the county said. @7NewsDC https://t.co/0Osh6kjgKf pic.twitter.com/sUwT1wRxQa

— Caroline Patrickis (@Cpatrickis) January 20, 2022

According to Jennifer Harris, a Charles County representative, the snakes were well cared for. Riston has a valid captive reptile and amphibian permit in Maryland, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. With this form of license, however, deadly snakes may not be kept as pets.

Among the snakes discovered in the house was a spitting cobra, whose venom may travel up to ten feet.