A young Navy wife is dead, strangled to death by her own pet python.

Police say the woman's husband came home Tuesday night and found his wife, 25-year-old Amanda Black, dead on the floor and the snake, a 13-foot reticulated Tiger Python named Diablo, was missing.

Animal control officers responded to the townhouse off Witchduck Road and found the snake hiding behind another snake pen with a Boa Constrictor in it, only a few feet away from the body of the owner it had just suffocated.

"What I saw first was the victim lying on the floor next to the empty snake pen," said Animal Control Officer Douglas Humphrey.

Police tell us the snake had an infection and Amanda was trying to give him a dose of antibiotics through a syringe, when the snake turned on her.

"I know it's a very strong and very long snake and after a couple of twists around the neck area, it's hard to fight that off," said Officer Humphrey.

An autopsy shows the python crushed Amanda's neck and she died of asphyxiation.

Officer Humphrey, with help from the medical examiner who was on the scene, both wrangled the snake back into its cage.

"The doctor grabbed the tail and I had the mid-section and I was using snake tongs on it. The snake was actually trying to strike at me and once we got him in the cage he tried to strike at the doctor through the aquarium. He was a little upset."

The couple has several other pet snakes, including several more pythons. Police say it's legal to have snakes like that in your house.

Right now Animal Control Officers have custody of the snake, but they say they are not sure yet what they are going to do with it.

"The husband wants nothing to do with the snake, obviously," said Officer Humphrey. So for now, Animal Control Officers say they are keeping the python fed and happy with live rats.

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