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-Lurid Crime Tales-
Detectives question lack of autopsy in Scalia death
2016-02-17
[NYPOST] Veteran homicide Sherlocks in New York and Washington, DC, on Monday questioned the way local and federal authorities in Texas handled the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
"Hmmm... Dead. Beaten to death."
"There's a hammer in his hand, chief!"
"Okay. Suicide, then."

"It's not unreasonable to ask for his appointment with Doctor Quincy in this case, particularly knowing who he is," retired Brooklyn homicide Detective Patricia Tufo told The Post.

"He's not at home. There are no witnesses to his death, and there was no reported explanation for why a pillow is over his head," Tufo said. "So I think under the circumstances it's not unreasonable to request an autopsy. Despite the fact that he has pre-existing ailments and the fact that he's almost 80 years old, you want to be sure that it's not something other than natural causes."

Bill Ritchie, a retired deputy chief and former head of criminal investigations for the DC police, said he was dumbstruck when he learned that no autopsy would be performed.

"I took a look at the report and I almost fell out of my chair," Ritchie told The Post from his home in Maryland.

"I used to be an instructor in the homicide school. Every death investigation you are handling, you consider it a homicide until the investigation proves otherwise," Ritchie said.
Posted by:Fred

#10  I am sure El Chapo is now paying the Pedro the waiter well for revenging his capture by spiking the Cuervo.
Posted by: Unelet Protector of the Sith2424   2016-02-17 17:18  

#9  She choked. On a fish
Posted by: Frank G   2016-02-17 14:23  

#8  Teddy Kennedy weaseled his way out of an autopsy of Mary Joe Kopechne.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2016-02-17 13:12  

#7  IIUC,

no sign of forced entry or exit


no sign of struggle

the 'pillow over his face' comment meant that the pillow was between his head and the top of the headboard
Posted by: lord garth   2016-02-17 12:25  

#6  He was almost 80, overweight, not 'fit-looking' and supposedly had a history of cardiac issues; if he was anybody else no one would even consider an autopsy.
Posted by: Glenmore   2016-02-17 10:07  

#5  Family objections don't matter.

For a very good reason.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2016-02-17 08:25  

#4  IIRC, ordering an autopsy is at the discretion of the coroner or similar local official. The major historic policy goal of the institution was to keep people from getting away with murder. Family objections don't matter.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2016-02-17 08:02  

#3  The list is endless. The smell of death appears to follow the regime, presenting opportunity after opportunity. Strange, very strange ?
Posted by: Besoeker   2016-02-17 01:26  

#2  It would be interesting to know if anyone talked to the family to convince them an autopsy was unnecessary.
Posted by: gorb   2016-02-17 01:14  

#1  Anybody with a grain of sense would question the lack of an autopsy. Do Supreme Court Justice's dead bodies have rights any white man is bound to respect? /sarc
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2016-02-17 00:53  

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