Daughter of Florida woman found in gator's jaws says mother's death ‘was gruesome, painful on her'

The heartbroken daughter of a Florida woman who was found in the jaws of a 13-foot alligator in a Largo canal said her family is grieving the loss and saddened by the manner in which her mother died.

Sabrina Peckham's lifeless body was spotted in the mouth of the alligator in a canal by a witness who reported it to authorities. The 41-year-old was homeless at the time and leaves behind two kids, NBC affiliate WFLA reported.

“It’s devastating to hear that you lost a loved one like that,” Peckham's daughter, Breauna Dorris, told WFLA. “It’s a lot harder knowing that your loved one didn’t get to pass peacefully or easy, that it was gruesome, and hard, and painful on her."

Dorris added that her mother was living near where her body was found so when the news came out that human remains were spotted with an alligator, she became worried.

“All you could do was hope and pray that it wasn’t her, but it was,” she said.

How Peckham died exactly is under investigation, the Sheriff’s Office said

Peckham’s family is raising money for her funeral via GoFundMe and holding a public candlelight vigil at the site where her body was discovered Friday at 6 p.m.