Woman Killed In Colorado Bear Attack Identified

Authorities have identified the woman who was killed in a bear attack near Durango on Sunday, May 2, reports CBS4.

The La Plata County Coroner identified the victim as 39-year-old Laney Malavolta. The cause of her death was "perforating injury to neck."

According to CBS4, Malavolta went on a walk with her dogs on Friday morning (April 30) near County Road 203 and Trimble Lane.

Her boyfriend went looking for her when she didn't return.

“The boyfriend returned home about 8:30 p.m. and saw the dogs in the yard, and it had been a long time since he last heard from his girlfriend, so we went out searching the area,” Jason Clay, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Public Information Officer told CBS4.

CPW officers located three bears near the area where Malavolta was found dead.

“The necropsy showed that the sow, which is the mother bear had human remains in the digestive tract and one of the two yearlings also had human remains, a third one, another of the yearlings did not have human remains in their digestive tract,” Clay said

This is the fourth death related to a bear attack in Colorado history. The last occurred back in 2009.

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