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BBC (London, UK) 04 June 04 US police close snake death case
The death of a Scottish snake collector has been classed as an accident by US police, although they do not know exactly how he died.
Garrick Wales, 48, was found dead in a car at Little Rock, Arkansas, on 13 May, and a box of four snakes was found about half a mile away.
It was thought he had been bitten by a mamba, despite the absence of puncture marks or poison in his blood.
Police closed the case, saying why he had the snakes will remain a mystery.
Little Rock Police Department spokesman Terry Hastings said: "We still don't have a clue and probably will never know what he was doing with those snakes or why he threw them out of the car."
The snakes - a 14in long twig snake, 6ft green mamba, 4ft black mamba and 5ft forest cobra - were found in a wooden box.
Hypodermic needles were also found in the box, and in Mr Wales's shirt pocket.
The snakes were ordered from a reptile dealer in Florida and sent to Little Rock where it is not illegal to own them.
They are now being housed in a Texas zoo.
If Mr Wales, from Kilmacolm, Strathclyde, had been bitten by a mamba, there would have been no puncture wounds or trace of poison in the blood.
Mr Hastings said that as the death was not a crime, the police did not have the resources to investigate further.
"It's more of a tabloid story than a crime and we've just been overwhelmed with calls from the media.
"But, since it's not a crime, we don't have the time or the manpower to investigate it.
"As curious as everybody is about it, we're not investigating it."
When police searched Mr Wales's hotel room in Little Rock, they found a laptop computer with e-mails to a Florida snake dealer thanking him for two boomslang snakes that he described as "quite docile".
The e-mails also indicated that Mr Wales planned to take all or some of the snakes he had just received to a Little Rock resident.
Mr Wales's family told Little Rock police he had travelled to the United States several times.
His widow, Pamela, has refused to talk publicly about her husband's death.
US police close snake death case

A quote from the article:
""If Mr Wales, from Kilmacolm, Strathclyde, had been bitten by a mamba, there would have been no puncture wounds or trace of poison in the blood.""

I'm just wondering... Why would there have been no punctur marks if he had been bitten by a mamba???

Jakob

They don't know the real answer so they guess.
Heck he might have died from the guilt of living a twisted life.
The whole thing smells from florida to arkansas.
Small elapids like kraits and mambas don't leave a big bruise
or wound.
but a couple teeth marks guess we will never know but
if I was asked to ship snakes to this guy he would never got them.
First only to citizens of the state with a valid ID.
If scotland popped up he would have not got them.
Its cool too put all the blame on him since he is dead.
but money talks with these snake peddlers.
They will sell to anyone with a buck and some dealers ship
in non prescribed ways ie. ups fed ex
The cops should set up stings and test all dealers.
The truth will be known 99% of of them need to have
nothing to do with reptiles period.
we know the legit ones
my 2 cents
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Bud