An elderly North Carolina teacher was attacked and killed by an animal while taking an early morning walk this week, and officials are scrambling to identify the killer creature, officials said.
Brenda Hamilton, 77, an educator at the Pungo Christian Academy in Belhaven, died Monday after she was attacked by some sort of animal, authorities said.
Investigators are doing DNA testing to try to identify what type of animal was behind the attack.
Hamilton was attacked by the animal while out on her daily walk around 5:50 a.m. on Indian Run Road in the town of Pantego, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and school officials.
Medics rushed Hamilton — who suffered severe injuries in the attack — to an area hospital, where she died.
“She has always been our Pungo angel, but now she is rejoicing with her maker in heaven,” the school where Hamilton worked wrote in a post on Facebook announcing her death.
“Anyone who knew her has no doubt that when she enter the gates of heaven, she was welcome with these words…Well done my good and faithful servant…well done,’” the post read.
Hamilton was the “matriarch” of the school, which added that “she will be missed.”
According to police, canine DNA was found on Hamilton’s clothing, but tests didn’t differentiate between domestic dogs or related species, such as wolves or coyotes, which live in the area.
“At present Sheriff’s Investigators are collecting DNA from domestic K9s in the area for further testing,” the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said.