Autopsy: Austin teen committed suicide by multiple cobra bites

AUSTIN – A Central Texas teenager who died in a SUV earlier this year committed suicide by letting a deadly monocle cobra repeatedly bite him, according to the autopsy report obtained by KVUE’s Tony Plohetski.

The Travis County Medical Examiner’s office report said Grant Thompson, 18, had “several bites” from the cobra on each arm and the bites showed no sign Thompson ever tried to pull away when the snake bit him.

The autopsy report said Thompson, who was right-handed, first allowed the cobra to bite him higher on the left shoulder, which the medical examiner’s office said is consistent with someone right-handed doing so on purpose.

Medical examiners concluded that the bites “appeared to be intentional injection sites” and that Thompson had a “history of suicidal ideation.”

The autopsy showed that cobra venom causes paralysis leading to respiratory failure and death in as little as 30 minutes. Marijuana and amphetamines were also discovered in Thompson’s body.

Thompson, a reptile lover who worked in his family’s pet store in Temple, was found July 14 with his car door open and an empty container that housed the cobra. Police also discovered a viper snake and several tarantulas.

The missing cobra sparked a massive search of the area by animal control experts. The snake was found dead a few days later in an I-35 frontage road.

While the autopsy report answered the question of how he died, other parts of the case remain a mystery including why Thompson was in Austin or why he chose the location where he committed suicide.

Plohetski has reached out to the family multiple times over the past few months, but they have not responded to any interview requests.

Source: KVUE