Woman Found Dead in Lion’s Pen Identified
A woman found dead inside the lion’s pen at the National Zoo was identified Monday as an Arkansas resident with a history of mental problems.
A police detective said the woman, whose mauled body was discovered early Saturday by a zookeeper, was Margaret Davis King, 36, of Little Rock. She was carrying a photo ID card issued by the Central Arkansas Transit Authority.
Records show that the woman was charged in September, 1988, with assault and making threats, but was found not guilty “by reason of mental defects or disease” and committed to the Arkansas State Hospital in Little Rock.
Police had not determined how the woman got into the outdoor lion’s enclosure or why she was there.
The Washington Post on Monday quoted sources as saying the woman died of massive blood loss as a result of the mauling.
Police said they were trying to figure out how the woman got past a 3 1/2-foot-wall and a 26-foot-wide moat that separate zoo visitors from the lions.
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