A man found dead in Great Smoky Mountains Park in 2020 was most likely killed by a black bear who was seen scavenging his remains, according to an autopsy report obtained Aug. 18 by the Citizen Times from the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Patrick Madura, 43, of Elgin, Illinois, was found dead Sept. 11, 2020, by backpackers, near where Madura had been camping in the remote Hazel Creek backcountry area of the park in Swain County.
According to a National Park Service report, backpackers first found an unoccupied tent at Hazel Creek campsite 82, then discovered what appeared to be human remains across the creek with a bear scavenging in the area, and alerted park rangers.
More: Great Smokies park rangers identify man found dead at backcountry campsite
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