Daughter of woman found in alligator’s jaws wants mother remembered for her heart: ‘This is all a nightmare'

LARGO, Fla. - A makeshift memorial and flowers lay at the spot where a nearly 14-foot alligator was found with human remains in its mouth. Now, the victim’s daughter is honoring her mother by acknowledging her past and touting her selflessness.  

Sabrina Peckham's daughter, 23-year-old Breauna Dorris, said before her mother's remains were found in the jaws of an alligator, she was homeless, living in a wooded area nearby. 

"Nobody expects to hear that your mother died under these circumstances," she said. 

Every day Peckham would stop by Dorris' home to visit her grandkids. 

Breauna Dorris and her mother Sabrina Peckham, whose remains were found inside an alligator's mouth. 

When Peckham didn’t show up Thursday evening and Friday morning, Dorris knew something wasn't right. 

"I knew that she was out here," Dorris shared. "Before her name was even released or she was identified. I knew there were news articles going around about a gator with a human body part in its mouth."

READ: 'It's do or die': Man loses arm after surviving alligator attack at Lake Manatee

Aerial view of an alligator that was found with human remains in its mouth. 

Dorris said despite Peckham's criminal history of trespassing and drug possession, she wants her to be remembered for her heart. 

MORE: Alligator attacks 77-year-old Bradenton woman, FWC says

"My mother chose the wrong path in life for sure," she explained. "She was selfless. One hundred percent selfless. She was homeless herself. But that didn't matter. She would give you the last piece of food off her plate. She would give you the shirt off her back if she needed to."

A makeshift memorial sits where an alligator was found with human remains. 

A stranger created a makeshift memorial for Peckham, where the alligator was found. Dorris left pink flowers, Peckham's favorite color, to honor her. 

"Knowing that's how she went...it wasn't painless. It wasn't fast. It wasn't easy. She struggled," she said.