Welp! This ain't good! Python found wrapped around dead woman neck in house w/ 140 sn

[RedRabbit]

It doesn't have to be a feeding bite/coil, any strong 8'+ constrictor around a neck is bad news, even just the snake trying to hold on can do damage, like what seems to have happened to Dan Brandon.
It would seem a tad odd for the snake to still be there unless she was found almost immediately after it happened though.

Sad news all in all.

I'm also inclined to think this is a likely scenario. A feeding strike-and-coil sounds unlikely; it would have to occur in a very specific way to end up entirely wrapped around her neck, and a bite from a snake that size would be readily apparent on visual inspection without needing an autopsy report, i.e. would probably already have been mentioned in the story if such a bite wound were present. Losing control during a handling session is a much easier (and sobering) scenario to imagine. The snake could have been clinging on with no intent to harm at all, but the strength of a giant python is not to be trifled with. There are also cardiac and other medical conditions, even in a relatively young person, that can go undetected until aggravated by something that significantly impacts blood circulation and/or heart rhythm. A powerful constriction that compresses the carotid arteries and jugular veins, not to mention the vagus nerve, would do exactly that.

As for why the snake was still found around the woman's neck, depending on how much time had elapsed - I wonder if the snake got scared and held on tighter as the woman presumably collapsed and fell over. With the way some snakes tense and "freeze up" for a very long time until they're sure the coast is clear, this retic might have had a similar reaction to being jarred like that.

Whatever the case, it is tragic for this woman and her family/friends, and the negative impact on public perception of snakes is unfortunate and inevitable. As keepers of reptiles (large and small), probably the best we can do is to continue to educate, and to be grimly reminded of why certain safety rules exist.