A Maryland man found dead at his home alongside over 100 caged snakes died of accidental snake envenomation, according to an autopsy.

    David Riston, 49, died of “snake envenomation,” the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Maryland ruled. His death was accidental, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

    When Riston was discovered during a Jan. 19 welfare check in suburban Pomfret, authorities downplayed the possibility that he was killed by one of the 124 snakes. Some of those snakes, found in meticulously-kept cages throughout his home, were exotic and illegal. 

    “Nobody seemed to be aware that he was harboring snakes inside the home,” Charles County spokesperson Jennifer Harris said at the time.