Georgia Gator Case

A divided Georgia Supreme Court has decided to hear arguments in a case involving a woman found dead in a lagoon that was home to an eight-foot alligator in a subdivision near Savannah.

Heirs of 83-year-old Gwyneth Williams are suing The Landings Association. They say the homeowners association should have taken steps to remove the gator.

Earlier, a split Georgia Court of Appeals panel ruled that the golf club and homeowners association may be held liable for damage inflicted by alligators in its lagoons.

It’s unclear whether an alligator killed Williams. Her mangled body was found in one of the lagoons in October 2007.

The club and the association have argued that Williams may have died from a heart attack before encountering the alligator.