A woman was found dead with a large python coiled around her neck.
On Wednesday night Laura Hurst was discovered unresponsive in a home with a large python wrapped around her neck.
Benton County Sheriff Don Munson, who owns the house, found the 36-year-old and moved quickly to take the reticulated python off her.
Sadly he was too late.
Ms Hurst is known to have kept a large number of pet snakes at Sheriff Munson's home in Battle Ground, Indiana.
Of the 140 reptiles living in the property, she owned 20 of them and would visit the snakes twice a week.
Sheriff Munson had recently renovated the property to house the collection of snakes and reptiles.
They were either caged or otherwise secured in the building, Indiana State Police Sergeant Kim Riley told the Journal and Courier.
She added: "She appears to have been strangled by the snake. We do not know that for a fact until after the autopsy."
Sheriff Munson, who lives next door to the snake house, described Ms Hurst's death as a "tragic accident".
An autopsy is scheduled for November 2.
