An 81-year-old Florida wildlife enthusiast and Animal Planet personality was struck and killed along a rural Arizona highway on August 7, 2026, after pulling over with a childhood friend to observe a snake — a tragic end to a life defined by a fearless love of reptiles. The suspect in the hit-and-run, 57-year-old Ricky Sean Finch, turned himself in three days after the crash and was taken into custody at a residence on West Chastain Lane in Graham County, Ariz. He now faces a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident involving death or serious injury.
A Passion That Defined His Life
Ed Cassano, a father of two daughters and a dedicated “herper” from Clermont, Fla., had spent decades tracking down reptiles and amphibians across North America’s wildest places. He and a childhood friend had pulled over along State Route 266 southwest of Safford, near milepost 118, when Cassano was struck at about 7:32 p.m. by a vehicle driven by Finch, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Deputies arrived roughly 20 minutes later and found he had died at the scene, on an evening a passing motorist described as bringing heavy lightning to the area. Finch allegedly fled the scene in a white Ford Fusion.
Cassano’s deep connection to animals brought him national attention when he appeared on the Animal Planet documentary series “Fatal Attractions,” a show that explored people who shared their homes with exotic and dangerous creatures. Cassano qualified on both counts — Animal Planet billed him as a man who kept more than 40 snakes at his Florida home. He reflected on the intensity of his daily routine with venomous animals, saying that even after all those years, entering a venomous snake cage always gave him an adrenaline boost.
His collection was as remarkable for its breadth as for its longevity. Cassano kept all of his animals for the entirety of their lives, including a ball python he had kept since the 1970s. He also traveled internationally in his pursuit of wildlife, making trips to Costa Rica to encounter vipers. On Arizona excursions, he was known to photograph dozens of western diamondback rattlesnakes in a single outing, carefully documenting each one. Because he didn’t own a smartphone, he kept a handwritten book filled with GPS coordinates marking places he had explored.
A Mentor, a Friend and a Father Figure
Among those grieving Cassano’s death is Rhett Stanberry, a professional snake wrangler who specializes in invasive python removal and venomous snake relocation in Florida and who, with his wife, Taylor, runs a nonprofit wildlife sanctuary. Stanberry said he met Cassano about 15 years ago, and that the older man shaped nearly every aspect of his professional and personal life. Stanberry said that Cassano helped him earn his venomous snake handling license in Florida, trained him in wildlife photography, and took him herping outside his home state for the first time when they traveled to Arizona in 2013.
Stanberry described Cassano as a best friend, mentor and father figure who could always be counted on. He said Cassano changed the entire trajectory of his life. Stanberry also remembered Cassano’s devotion to his daughters, Jeanette and Annmarie, describing him as a proud “girl dad.” Cassano is also survived by his sister, Denise Gomez, and his brother, Robert Gomez.
Stanberry noted that Cassano’s most beloved animals were his Airedale Terriers. “He was probably the single most caring and compassionate person towards wildlife that I’ve ever known in my entire life,” Stanberry said.
Cassano’s Animals and His Legacy
Cassano had taken steps to ensure his animals would be cared for after his death. He had prepared a will specifying where each animal should go, and many of his collection will now pass to Stanberry — a fitting continuation of a bond built on shared reverence for wildlife. Stanberry said Cassano raised some of the largest and most impressive species of venomous snakes anyone would ever see.
Finch called law enforcement around 7 p.m. on August 10, telling dispatchers he was waiting in the backyard of a residence on West Chastain Lane, near his white Ford Fusion. Deputies took him into custody and impounded the car as evidence. The felony charge reflects the gravity of what authorities say occurred on that remote stretch of highway.
Plans to Honor Cassano’s Memory
Stanberry said he intends to carry on the wildlife work that Cassano inspired in him, including returning to the Arizona desert that the two men explored together over the years. The sparse, sun-baked landscape of southeastern Arizona held special significance for Cassano, who returned to it repeatedly in search of the western diamondbacks and other reptiles that thrive there. For Stanberry, going back is both a personal mission and a tribute to the man who first showed him that world.
