NEWTON COUNTY, Ark. (KTVI) – In a recent update from Arkansas wildlife authorities, it has been confirmed that the bear they euthanized earlier this month was not responsible for the fatal attack on a Missouri man. Originally, officials believed the bear was linked to the incident.

On October 2, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission reported discovering the body of Max Thomas from Springfield, Missouri. The tragic find occurred near Sam’s Throne campground in the Ozark National Forest, located in northwest Arkansas.

According to an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission news release on Thursday, “A bear was euthanized by AGFC biologists three days after the incident, as size, physical characteristics and photographic evidence initially pointed to a high probability that it was the attacking animal.”

Yet, subsequent DNA analysis revealed that the black bear euthanized did not match the DNA of the bear involved in Thomas’ death, as confirmed by the AGFC.