A Maryland father has been discovered dead inside his suburban home lined with cages containing more than 125 snakes, including the highly venomous and illegal spitting cobras and black mambas.
David Riston (49), was discovered dead in Pomfret, with his pets, some of them so dangerous that it is illegal in the United States to have as pets.
Investigators are still unsure how Riston died and whether Riston was killed by one of the snakes.
Charles County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived at a Pomfret home at the 5500 block Rafael Drive on Wednesday evening after receiving a 911 Call from a neighbour. He said that he saw the homeowner through a window and that he wasn’t responding to his calls.
David Riston (49), was discovered dead in his suburban Maryland residence surrounded by more than 125 snakes, both venomous, and non-venomous.
After receiving a 911 call, Riston’s neighbor called police. Officers responded by going to Riston at Rafael Drive, Pomfret.
Deputies discovered tanks and racks inside the house housing snakes.
Official seen loading up a large plastic container containing the massive Burmese yellow python in to a car to transport it to Virginia
The sheriff said there weren’t any obvious signs of foul play. Riston was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Baltimore, for an autopsy.
Inside Riston’s residence, more than 125 venomous and non-venomous snakes of different species were discovered in meticulously kept tanks on racks.
Riston was immediately declared deceased at the scene. However, no evidence of foul play was found.
Charles County Animal Control spokesperson Jennifer Harris told WRC-TV the following breeds were present: rattlesnakes and black mambas (the most poisonous snakes of Africa), spitting cobras, black leopards, and a Burmese Python that is 14 feet long.
Riston was rumored to have lived alone. He had a permit that allowed him to keep reptiles and snakes. However, Maryland law makes it illegal for anyone to own any poisonous snakes.
Just two drops of a black mamba’s fast-acting venom can kill a human by shutting down the nervous system and inflicting paralysis.
Blindness can be caused by a spitting cobra’s ability to spray its venom through its fangs from up to 10 feet away. These two breeds can be kept in America as pets.
All the snakes in Riston’s home were said to have been well-cared for by their owner. Terrified neighbours were reassured by Riston that any snakes that have fled will die in the winter.
Charles County Animal Control Chief Ed Tucker claimed that this private collection is his largest in all of his thirty-years.
Officials from Virginia and North Carolina called reptile specialists to aid them in safely removing the snakes. They were seen loading the snakes into cars in plastic bins.
Non-venomous snakes were moved to Virginia while venomous ones went to North Carolina. WRC reported that handlers needed to heat up the vehicles in order to allow reptiles to move.
Riston had several slithering pets. Animal control officers found black mambas among them, which can be extremely dangerous (stock image).
Riston also had spitting cobras in his possession, which can spray venom from 10 feet away (stock image)
According to neighbors, Riston’s home was transformed into a snake-terrarium.
Riston’s daughter, Emily Lopez-Lahocki, confirmed her father’s death in a Facebook tribute.
‘The man, the myth, the legend. My dad David Riston, left the earth January 19th, 2022 at the age of 49 years old,’ she wrote. ‘Still in shock. Our best friend, he is truly our best friend. He makes us laugh all the time and keeps the peace. My family deeply mourns a loss today.’