ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Taylen Mosley, the 2-year-old boy whose body was found inside an alligator's mouth following an exhaustive search, died of drowning, according to a county medical examiner.
The St. Petersburg Police Department confirmed the Pinellas County medical examiner's finding Monday morning in a news release.
The child was the subject of an Amber Alert in late March after being reported missing. His mother, 20-year-old Pashun Jeffery, was found dead with multiple stab wounds inside her apartment.
Thomas Mosley, 21, was first considered a person of interest in the case while police searched for the young boy. The toddler was found with the alligator during the evening on March 31 in Lake Maggiore.
His father is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, accused of killing Jeffery and their son.
"We are sorry it had to end this way," St. Petersburg Police Department Chief Anthony Holloway said during an earlier news conference.
Family, friends and loved ones gathered on April 7 in St. Petersburg to lay Jeffery and Taylen Mosley to rest.
Jeffery's family described Taylen Mosley as a "sweet and happy toddler" who "loved his mom." Her family said when she had a break at work, she would FaceTime the boy "so that she could spend every moment possible with him."
10 Tampa Bay's Claire Farrow contributed to this report.