Woman’s horrifying death after bear broke into her home and killed her

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT The woman had previously attacked a bear herself to stop it coming into her home. Tragically, one male bear succeeded in breaking in and bit her neck.

A murderous black bear broke into an 71-year-old woman’s home and mauled her to death. The tragedy came after the brave pensioner had fought off other bears with her bare hands.

It was the first fatal attack of the kind in the area in 2023. Patrice Miller, was killed by the bear in her California home. Police entered her home to conduct a welfare check, initially thinking the bear had found her dead body.

An initial investigation determined that the woman died before the bear came into the home, However, horrifyingly, an autopsy of Patrice’s body determined that the bear had actually killed the elderly woman.

“Upon showing up, [they] immediately saw evidence of bear intrusion into the house,” Mike Fisher, the county sheriff, told KCRA3. “The door was broken. There was bear scat on the porch.”

Patrice’s daughter said this was not the first time a bear had tried to get in he mother’s home “through broken windows, and that her mother had physically hit one to keep it from entering her residence”, KCRA reported. She had reportedly named one bear who attempted multiple break ins a “big bastard”.

Authorities said Patrice, who lived in the small mountain community of Downieville is often fed her cats on the porch and had trash on the property.

Patrice had previously physically hit one bear to stop it entering her home, according to her daughter.

“The coroner’s report confirmed that, ultimately, the bear caused the woman’s death,” the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said.

Police from the Sierra County Sheriff’s office said the bear was nowhere to be seen when they entered Patrice’s home when they discovered her body in November of 2023. The male bear was later found and euthanised, adhering to state policy with a DNA test of the bear confirming it was the killer.

Following the autopsy report, Sierra County Sheriff Mike Fisher told local media Miller was killed when the bear swiped or bit her neck.

Bear attacks on humans are uncommon, state wildlife officials said. However, the animals “lose their natural fear of people and their actions get bolder and bolder” when homes and campgrounds are viewed as easy food sources.

“This is the most extreme example we’ve seen in state history,” Peter Tira, a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the Los Angeles Times.

“Since early May, the sheriff’s office has been inundated with daily reports from distressed homeowners and business owners regarding bears breaking into residences and vehicles, creating havoc and endangering local residents,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Given the escalating danger posed by the bear’s behavior and the imminent threat it presented to residents, deputies were left with no choice but to euthanize the bear in the interest of public safety.”

There are between 50,000 to 81,000 black bears in California according to the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife. Adult males can weigh roughly 400lb.