Was Texas Man Killed by a Mountain Lion or Not? Authorities Are Split on What Killed Christopher Whiteley

A Texas man died and his body was found in a wooded area, but what Texas officials can’t agree on is what killed him.

While the Hood County Sheriff's Office initially said their preliminary findings show 28-year-old Christopher Allen Whiteley died from a wild animal attack, possibly a mountain lion, Texas wildlife officials said they found no evidence of that being true.

Whiteley was last seen early Wednesday. A search was launched to locate him and it was announced on Saturday that his body had been found in a wooded area in Lipan. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's office has since ruled out a suicide and a homicide, but Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said Sunday that there is no evidence that he was attacked by an animal.

"None of the evidence reviewed by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department indicates a predatory attack by a mountain lion or other wild animal," TPWD spokeswoman Megan Radke told CBS DFW.

TPWD also told the station that the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services biologist also reached the same conclusion, and added that mountain lion attacks are rare in the area, with less than 30 occurring in the last 100 years.

"It appears we have two conflicting reports from two agencies that are experts in their field," the Hood County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Sunday.

The sheriff’s office has said they are now waiting for autopsy results.

RELATED STORIES