The mauled body of Rory Nelson Wagner, 53, was found in a rural area in southern British Columbia on Wednesday evening, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.
Police believe Wagner was dead in a 1986 Volkswagen Jetta when the black bear broke into the vehicle, ate some parts of him and dragged the rest of the body away.
“The driver’s window of the vehicle was down and investigators noted numerous muddy animal prints and scratches on the car,” police said.
Officials “discovered the body in the surrounding bush, about 120 meters from the vehicle,” police said.
Drug paraphernalia and a bottle of liquor was found in the car. A coroner is conducting an autopsy and toxicology tests.
Wagner and two other people were charged with the 1993 killing of a man they thought had sexually assaulted a relative, CNN affiliate CTV reported. The man they killed was found not guilty of sexual assault charges, according to the affiliate.
Wagner was on parole from the murder conviction when he encountered the bear.
Conservation officials say the bear was caught and may be killed to ensure public safety.
