New!   Review the death certifcate of actor, Patrick Swayze.  Swayze was an outstanding actor who starred in movies such as Dirty Dancing,  Ghost, The Outsiders,  Point Break,  and Red Dawn. He also starred in the North and South television miniseries broadcast.  In addition, Swayze co-wrote the song "She's Like the Wind."  At the time, the song reached number 3 on the  Billboard Hot 100. In 2008, Swayze was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer.  He endured several forms of treatment; however, sucumbed to the disease on September 14, 2009.

New!   Review the death certifcate of Tamerlan Tsarnaev.  Tsarnaev was one of the Chechen brothers suspected perpetrating the April 15th, 2013 Boston Maraton Bombings.  Tsarnaev was born in the Kalmyk Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic now known as Kalmykia,  a North Caucasus unit of the  Russia Federation. In the early hours of April 19, 2013, in Watertown, a suburb of Boston, Tamerlan was apprehended by police after being shot multiple times. The exact sequence of events remains clouded in confusion, as do key details. According to police, Tamerlan's younger brother Dzhokhar ran him over with an SUV and dragged him with the vehicle for 20 feet. He was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where, despite efforts to revive him, he was pronounced dead from several critical injuries, massive blood loss, and cardiac and respiratory arrest. Also, read the criminal complaint filed against his brother, Dzhokhar.

New!   Review the autopsy report of former Kansas City Chiefs defensive linebacker, Jovan Belcher. Belcher was involved in a murder-suicide in which he shot and killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, and then went to the team's training facility at Arrowhead Stadium and committed suicide in the parking lot in front of former Kansas City Chiefs general manager, Scott Pioli, and coaches, Romeo Crennel and Gary Gibbs.

New!   Review the autopsy report of East Coast rapper and hip-hop artist, Christopher George Latore Wallace, also known as The Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, and Frank White.  Wallace began rapping as a teenager and some of his work was presented as a demo tape to Uptown Records. He signed with the label and eventually left and joined Bad Boy Records, a record label founded in 1993 by producer and rapper,  Sean "Diddy" Combs.  Wallace produced two albums, Right to Die and Life After Death.  The song "Hypnotize" was a Grammy-nominated hip-hop song  on the Life After Death album that was fifth song to hit #1 posthumously for a credited artist.  In March 1997, Wallace was in California to promote his second album. On the night of March 8, 1997, Wallace attended the 11th Annual Soul Train Music Awards and then proceeded to attend an after party.  Approximately around 12:30 am on March 9, 1997, Wallace left the after party and proceeded with his entourage back to his hotel.  Wallace and his entourage were in two GMC Suburban vehicles accompanied by his record label's director of security.  As Wallace's vehicle was at a red light, a black Chevrolet Impala SS pulled up alongside Wallace's vehicle and the driver of the Impala, an African American male dressed in a blue suit and bow tie, rolled down his window, drew a 9 mm blue-steel pistol and fired at the GMC Suburban, with four bullets hitting Wallace. Wallace's entourage rushed him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where doctors  were unsuccessful in saving him Wallace was pronounced dead at 1:15 AM. According to the autopsy report, Wallace died as a result of a "gunshot wound to the abdomen-chest."  Three of the four bullets were non-fatal shots. 

New!   Review the autopsy report of actor and former star of Saturday Night Live!, Phil Hartman.  Hartman was a victim of a murder-suicide when in the early morning hours on May 28, 1998, his third wife, Brynn, shot him three times. She later went to a friend house to confess her crime and then went back to her residence and then committed suicide with a gunshot to the head.

New!   Review the death certificate of American musician, singer and songwriter, Jimi Hendrix.  Hendrix, famous for his guitar playing skills using his classic Stratocaster, Black Beauty, mesmerized the crowd at Woodstock in 1969 by playing his rendition of the The Star-Spangled Banner, which he then morphed into Purple Haze.  On September 18, 1970, Hendrix was found unresponsive by his girlfriend Monica Dannemann. There is some controversy about what really happened to Jimi Hendrix as his girlfriend's story conflicts with autopsy data.  Hendrix's girlfriend states that she found him unresponsive but alive around 11:00 AM. The ambulance was called at 11:18 AM and arrived at 11:27 AM. Hendrix's girlfriend states that he was alive when he was placed in the ambulance and she rode with him to St. Mary Abbots Hospital.  Police and ambulance statements discount her statements as they stated no one was at the residence upon arrival and that Hendrix was already deceased.  The official cause of death is listed as "inhalation of vomitus" and "barbiturate intoxication (quinalbarbitone)." It also stated that there was insufficient evidence of circumstances to state the manner of death.

New!   Review the coroner's/autopsy report of American actress, socialite, fashion model and heiress, Edie Sedgwick Post. Sedgwick was only of Andy Warhol's socialite. Sedgwick was known as "The Girl of the Year: in 1965. On November 15, 1971, after attending a fashion show at the Santa Barbara Museum, Sedgwick was picked up by her husband Michael Post after she was confronted by a drunken guest who was insulting her. Once home, Sedgwick's husband gave her her prescribed medications of barbiturates and went to bed. In the morning, Sedgwick was dead.  The coroner ruled her death "undetermined/accident/suicide" due to the result of "probable acute barbiturate intoxication" due to ethanol intoxication.

New!   Review the death certificate of American composer, singer, songwriter and activist, Frank Zappa. Frank Zappa was post  humously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.  On December 4, 1993, at the age of 52, Zappa died from complications from prostate cancer.

New!   Review the autopsy report and police investigation report of Cochise County, Arizona, Sheriff Larry Dever, who was killed in a one vehicle accident when his pickup truck veered off the road and rolled over. At autopsy, Sheriff Dever was found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.291%. The official cause of death is listed as "multiple injuries due to a pickup truck crash."

New!  Review the death certificate of Dick Clark, who was a talented radio and television personality, who was known for hosting American Bandstand in addition to the game show, Pyramid. He also annually hosted the New Year's Eve celebration, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, live from Times Square in New York City.  His participation in the event was minimal in the past few years as the result of a stroke that left him with speech impairment. On April 18, 2012, Dick Clark died from a myocardial infarction (hear attack) following a surgical procedure to fix an enlarged prostate.

New!   Review the autopsy report of the Covina Massacre Santa Slayer,  Bruce Pardo . On December 24, 2008, Pardo went to his former-in-laws house at 1129 Knollcrest Drive, in Covina California and knocked on the during as they held a holiday party. As one of the guest, an 8th year-old girl opened the door, Pardo began fired a gun. The girl was shot in the face, but survived.  Pardo then fired at the partygoers. He then pulled out a homemade flamethrower and sprayed racing fuel gasoline and set the house ablaze. In all, nine people died as a result of gunfire or fire.  Pardo then drove to his brother's house 30 miles away and committed suicide. Police speculated that martial problem was the cause of shooting as his ex-wife filed for divorce one week prior to the shooting.

New!   Review the autopsy report of former Major League Baseball pitcher, Jose Lima . Lima was a right-handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic who spent 13 seasons playing with various MLB teams including the Detroit Tigers, Houston Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets.  On May 23, 2012, around 6:00 AM, Jose was found by his girlfriend to be diaphoretic, snoring, and acting strangely. Jose then was unresponsive. 911 was called and he was taken to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California where he was pronounced dead at 6:52 AM PST. The LA County Coroner could not determine the cause of death after autopsy and toxicology studies.  The heart showed mild hypertrophy; perivascular and interstitial fibrosis were also present. No abnormalities of the cardiac conduction system were found on microscopic examination.  They concluded Jose Lima most likely died as a result of "cardiac arrhythmia."

New!   Review the autopsy report of American ultra-runner, Micah True . Micah True, also know by his birth name Michael Randall Hickman, and also known as Caballo Blanco, was the organizer of the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon  to help the Tarahumara natives preserve their culture and running heritage. On March 27, 2012, True failed to return home after his daily run in the Gila Wilderness in the Gila National Forest in New Mexico.  On March 31, 2012, True was found dead near a stream.  His autopsy was inconclusive and his death was ruled a natural death and was most likely caused by "idiopathic cardiomyopathy" and cardiac arrhythmia brought on by exertion.

New!   Review the post mortem /autopsy report of actor, Sherman Hemsley.  Hemsley, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,  was best known for his role as George Jefferson on the sitcom, The Jeffersons. Hemsley acting career started in the 1970's when he took a part in the Broadway musical, Purlie.  In 1971, Hemsley was called to tryout for the part of George Jefferson in the sitcom All in the Family alongside, Carroll O'Connor.  In 1975, Hemsley alongside Isabel Sanford, were given the lead roles in a spin-off from All in the Family, The Jeffersons, which ran for 11 seasons until 1985.  In 1986, Hemsley joined the cast of the sitcom, Amen as Deacon Ernest Frye. Amen ran for 5 seasons until it ended in 1991.  On July 24, 2012, Sherman Hemsley passed away at his home in El Paso, Texas. The post mortem report stated he died as a result of "superior vena cava syndrome due to a malignant lung mass."

New!   Review the autopsy report of former quarterback of the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens,  Steve McNair , and his mistress, Sahel Kazemi.

New!   Review the autopsy report of Junior Seau,  NFL All-Pro linebacker who played for the San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, and New England Patriots.  On May 2, 2012, Seau was found dead after committing suicide. The autopsy report lists the official cause of death "suicide due to a penetrating gunshot wound to the chest."

New!   Review the autopsy report of Rodney King, an African-American construction worker who became well known after being beaten harshly by Los Angeles police officers, Timothy Wind and  Laurence Powell, following a high-speed car chase on March 3, 1991.  4 officers were indicted but were later acquitted of all charges. This acquittal sparked outrage and led tot he Los Angeles Riots of 1992, which caused 53 deaths, 2,383 injuries, more than 7,000 fires, damage to 3,100 businesses, and nearly $1 billion in financial losses. On June 17, 2012, King was found by his fiancee at the bottom of his swimming pool. He was taken to hospital; however, was pronouced dead at 6:11 AM PST.  The official autopsy report lists the cause of death as "accidental drowning" with contributing factors including alcohol, cocaine, PCP, and marijuana.

New!   Review the autopsy report of Kathleen Savio, the third wife of former Bollinger Police Department sergeant, Drew Peterson. He is suspected of killing his third and fourth wives. On March 1, 2004, Kathleen Savio was found unresponsive in a waterless bathtub in their home.  He death was initially ruled accidental due to "drowning."  On October 29, 2007, his fourth wife, Stacy Ann Cales Peterson was reported missing. Drew Peterson stated that Stacy had called him saying she left him for another man. She remains missing. After Stacy Peterson's disappearance, on November 16, 2007, Kathleen Savio's body was exhumed and underwent forensic examination by former New York City chief medical examiner, Michael Baden. Baden concluded that Savio died of drowning following a struggle. After the second autopsy, Will County State's Attorney stated after examining the evidence that he believed Savio's death was a "homicide" staged to look like an accident.  On February 21, 2008, Savio's death was determined to be the result of a homicide. On May 7, 2009, Drew Peterson was indicted for the killing of Kathleen Savio. He currently resides in the Will County Adult Detention Center in Joliet, Illinois.

New!   Review the autopsy report of Andrew Breitbart, publisher; and commentator for The Washington Times, who died of heart failure. On March 1, 2012, Breitbart died at the age of 43 at the UCLA Medical Center after he collapsed while walking in Brentwood, California.  An autopsy revealed that he had cardiomegaly and died of heart failure. The toxicology report showed "no prescription or illicit drugs were detected."  Blood alcohol was .04%. No significant trauma was present and foul play is not suspected." He had suffered an apparent heart attack months before his death.
 

Autopsy Reports

New!   Review the official autopsy report of Trayvon Martin, the 17 year-old male who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, while walking through The Retreat at Twin Lakes gated community in Sanford, Florida on February 26, 2012. While on a private errand, Zimmerman saw Martin walking inside the gated community where Martin was visiting his father and his father's fiancée. Zimmerman called the Sanford Police Department to report Martin's behavior as suspicious. Shortly afterwards, there was an altercation, which ended with Zimmerman fatally shooting Martin once in the chest at close range. Once Sanford Police arrived at the scene, Zimmerman was bleeding from the nose and mouth; and had two vertical lacerations on the back of his head. EMTs treated Zimmerman at the scene, after which he was taken to the Sanford Police Department. Zimmerman was detained and questioned for approximately two hours, during which time he taped a video statement, and then he was released without being charged. Zimmerman alleges he shot Martin in self-defense; however, on April 11, 2012, he is charged with second-degree murder. On April 23, 2012, Zimmerman is released on $ 150,000 bail.

New!   Review the official autopsy report of Sam Kinison, former Pentecostal preacher turned comedian and actor, who was killed when his 1989 Pontiac Trans Am was hit by a pickup truck driven by a 17 year old male who was intoxicated. The accident occurs on U.S. Route 95 several miles from the town of Needles, California. Kinison was taken to Needles Desert Communities Hospital were he was pronounced dead. His dead was listed as "multiple traumatic injuries" resulting from a motor vehicle accident.

New!   Review the official autopsy report of Hernell "Jeep" Jackson, first team all-Western Athletic Conference basketball player who played four season at the University of Texas El-Paso with the Miners from 1983 to 1986. Jackson was participating in a charity basketball game at  Fort Bliss Logan Heights Fitness Center with two other ex-Miners and four members of the NFL’s Houston Oilers, when he collapsed while sitting on the bench. He was taken to Beaumont Medical Center and was pronounced dead after unsuccessful attempts to revive him. The official cause of death is listed as "cardiac arrest due to arrhythmia" caused by an anomaly of his coronary artery.

New!   Review the official autopsy report of Don Cornelius, who was a producer and television host of the American musical variety show, Soul Train.  Cornelius hosted Soul Train for 22 years.  On February 1, 2012, Cornelius died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

New!   Review the official autopsy report of Whitney Houston, Grammy Award winning singer and songwriter, was found dead in her Beverly Hilton Hotel, room in Beverly Hills, California. She was reportedly found in the bathtub with her head underwater. Beverly Hills paramedics found the singer unresponsive and performed CPR for about 20 minutes before declaring her dead at 3:55 p.m. Police discovered "various pill bottles" in Houston's room. The autopsy report listed "drowning" as the official cause of death and  atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine as contributing factors. Marijuana, cocaine, Benadryl, Xanax, and Flexeril were found in her system. The full autopsy report will be released in a few weeks and Autopsyfiles.org will post it once it becomes available.

New!   Review the autopsy report of Robert Champion Jr., a drum major in the famous "Marching 100" Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University marching band, who died as a result of a hazing incident on a bus trip back from an away game. The cause of his death was listed as "hemorrhagic shock due soft tissue hemorrhage due to blunt force trauma" resulting from beatings sustained in the hazing incident. Champion was noted as previously healthy prior to the incident and collapsed and died within an hour of a hazing incident during which he suffered multiple blunt trauma blows to his body. He complained that he was thirsty and tired immediately after the incident and, minutes later, lost his eyesight and suffered a cardiac arrest. At the hospital, he had extremely low hemoglobin and hematocrit levels indicative of bleeding; however, he showed no signs of external or internal bleeding. Instead on autopsy examination, it was noted he had extensive contusions of his chest, arms, shoulders, and back as well as evidence of crushing of areas of subcutaneous fat.

New!   Review the autopsy report of Natalie Wood, who was a outstanding actress and wife of actor, Robert Wagner.  On the evening of November 29, 1981, Wood along with Wagner and actor, Christopher Walken, were partying on the yacht, the Splendour, when Wood disappeared and was later found in the ocean. Wood's cause of death was "drowning" and was listed as an accident. There has been controversy as to what happened on the evening of Wood's death. November 29, 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of her death and most recently, the captain of the Splendour, Dennis Davern, has come forward admitting to the “Today” show that he “lied” 30 years ago, to tell a story more compatible with one Wagner wanted to release.

New!   Review the official second autopsy report (French) of Canadian professional boxer, Arturo Gatti, who died under mysterious circumstances at his residence in Brazil in 2007.  During his 16 year professional career, Gatti had a record of 40 wins, 9 losses, and 31 wins by TKO and won two world titles before retiring in 2007.  On July 11, 2009, Gatti was found dead in a hotel in Ipojuca, Pernambuco, Brazil, where he was on vacation with his Brazilian wife, Amanda Rodrigues, and son. The cause of his death appeared to be strangulation by a purse strap. There was also a wound on the back of his head that looked to have been caused by a kitchen knife. The mystery deepens as it was deemed that no one but Rodrigues could have come in or out of the apartment over the course of the night in question. Hanging was also ruled out of the question, due to the fact that the purse strap could not have held the fighter’s weight in suspension. Gatti's wife was arrested by Brazilian authorities but later released as investigators ruled Arturo Gatti's death a suicide. The suicide ruling was met with immediate outrage from Gatti’s friends and family. On August 1, 2009, a second autopsy performed at the Laboratoire de sciences judiciaires et de medecine legale in Montreal concluded that there was no “clear and hard evidence” he was murdered. Coroner Dr. Jean Brochu was critical of the way Brazilian police handled the initial investigation of Gatti’s death. Review the English Translation of the French Autopsy Report. Review the Private Investigator's Report of The Death of Arturo Gatti. (48.3 MB)

New!   Review the autopsy report of Rebecca Zahau, who was the girlfriend of Medicis Pharmaceuticals chairman and chief executive, Jonah Shacknai. Zahau, who was found bounded and hanging from a balcony of the 27-room historic, waterfront mansion located in suburban Coronado, California. The mansion is owned by Shacknai. The official cause of death was listed as "suicide by hanging."  Also, read the autopsy report, of Max Shacknai, who is Jonah Shacknai's son. Max had died a week before the hanging death of Rebecca Zahau where Max had fallen from a staircase at the same mansion in Coronado. Ironically, Rebecca Zahau was the boy's baby sitter at the time of his fall. Max's death was listed as an accident due to  "anoxic/ischemic encephalopathy resulting from cervical spinal cord contusion resulting from blunt force trauma to the head and neck." Also, view the toxicology reports for both Rebecca Zahau and Max Shacknai.

New!  Review the autopsy report of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement who was assassinated by James Earl Ray as he stood on the second floor balcony at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. In 1957, King co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with other civil rights activists. The group was created to harness the moral authority and organizing power of black churches to conduct non-violent protests in the service of civil rights reform. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and racial discrimination. On March 29, 1968, King was in Memphis in support of black sanitary public works employees who were on strike. On April 4, 1968, at approximately 6:01 p.m. as King stood on the second floor balcony, he was shot as a bullet ripped through his right cheek and jaw and traveled down his spinal column. He was also hit by a second bullet in the chest. He was taken to nearby St. Joseph Hospital and underwent emergency surgery; however, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. The official cause of death is listed as "gunshot wound with total transection of the lower cervical and upper thoracic spinal column" with contributing factors including "laceration of the vertebral artery, subclavian artery, and jugular vein." 

Review the autopsy report of the singer and songwriter , Michael Jackson, who was found dead in his home on June 25, 2009. On June 25, 2009, Jackson died while in his bed at his rented mansion at 100 North Carolwood Drive in Los Angeles, California. Attempts at resuscitating him by Conrad Murray, his personal physician, were unsuccessful. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics received a 911 call at 12:22, arriving three minutes later at Jackson's location. He was reportedly not breathing and CPR was performed. Resuscitation efforts continued en route to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and for an hour after arriving at the hospital. He was pronounced dead at 2:26 PM local time. The autopsy report lists his official cause of death as "acute propofol intoxication." At the time of death, Jackson had been administered propofol, lorazepam and midazolam. Law enforcement officials conducted a manslaughter investigation of his personal physician, Conrad Murray. On February 8, 2010, Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter. Jackson was entombed on September 3, 2009, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. Review the autopsy photo of Michael Jackson that was released at the trial of his personal physician, Conrad Murray.

New!   Review the autopsy report and death certificate of River Phoenix, an outstanding actor who starred in movies such as Stand By Me, Sneakers, My Own Private Idaho, as well as in Running on Empty, for which his performance earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination. On October 31, 1993, Phoenix had collapsed outside of the Hollywood nightclub, the Viper Room, where he was to perform. He subsequently went into convulsions, and then cardiac arrest. He was rushed to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where further attempts to resuscitate Phoenix were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at 1:51 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. The official cause of death is "acute multiple drug intoxication" resulting from cocaine and heroin ingestion. His toxicology report also states he had  diazepam, and ephedrine in his blood. Help support Autopsyfiles.org and bring more autopsy reports to our website. Please make a donation so our website can remain free! Click the donation button in the right margin to support our website.

New!   Review the autopsy/coroner's report of Tupac Shakur, famous American rapper, who was a member of the alternative hip-hop group, Digital Underground, and The Outlawz. On the night of September 7, 1996, Shakur had attended the Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldon boxing match at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. After the boxing match, there was a confrontation and fight between Shakur and Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, a member of the Southside Crips. After the confrontation, Shakur left the MGM with his entourage headed to Club 662, now know as Seven. At approximately 11:15 pm, a white, four-door, late-model Cadillac with an unknown number of occupants pulled up to the right side of the vehicle Shakur was riding, rolled down one of the windows, and fired several gunshots at Shakur; with bullets hitting him in the chest, pelvis, right hand and thigh. He was taken to the University Medical Center, where he died 6 days later of respiratory failure and cardiac arrest secondary to internal bleeding. Shakur died at 4:03 PM Pacific Daylight Time. Orlando Anderson was suspected in Shakur's shooting; however, he was never charged. Ironically, on May 29, 1998, Anderson was gunned down in a shooting in Compton, California.

New!   Review the autopsy report of Scarlett Keeling, who was a 15 year-old British teenager from Bideford, Devon, Great Britain whose body was discovered on February 18, 2008 on the beach at the Goa resort of Anjuna. Scarlett was traveling with her mother to Goa on vacation. The first autopsy listed the official cause of death as "accidental drowning;" however, Scarlett's body had over 50 bruises and injuries consistent with an assault. Also, an eyewitness stated that the evening before she was found, Scarlett was last seen at Lui's Bar in Anjuna Beach. At the time, Scarlett appeared intoxicated and was seen leaving with two men. Scarlett's bruised and battered body was found less than 90 minutes later. She had been raped.  One of these men, Samson D'Souza, was a bartender at Lui's; while the other man, Placido Carvalho, was believed to supply Scarlett with Ecstasty and cocaine. The eyewitness, who had spoken with Scarlett earlier in the evening, said he saw Scarlett leave the bar at 5am with a man and five minutes later he also left the bar and saw the man Scarlett left with drive off on his scooter. He also stated later that "In the light of the front beam of his scooter, I saw Samson D'Souza on top of Scarlett. I was in a complete state of total panic, shock. I got on my bike and I rode off." A second autopsy was performed at the request of Scarlett's mother, Fiona MacKeown. Fiona MacKeown claimed there was a conspiracy to cover-up the rape and murder of her daughter. She accused the son of an Indian Minister of involvement in the affair. She hired a local advocate, Vikram Varma, to pursue the case, including in the world media. Samson D'Souza and Placido Carvalho are currently on trial for manslaughter. View the autopsy and crime scene photos, Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4, Photo 5, Photo 6, Photo 7, Photo 8, Photo 9, and Photo 10.

New!   Review the autopsy reports of Christopher Byers, Steve Branch, and James Michael Moore, who were three friends found murdered in a drainage canal in the Robinhood Hills neighborhood of West Memphis, Arkansas. The boys' bodies were mutilated and left in a ditch, hogtied with their own shoelaces.  Three individuals, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley, known as the "West Memphis Three," were convicted of killing the three 8 year-old boys. Prosecutors argued the men who were convicted, teenagers at the time, were driven by satanic ritual and that Echols had been the ringleader. Also, there was no evidence that directly link the men to the murders at that time. Baldwin and Misskelley were sentenced to life sentences; while Echols was given the death penalty.

In a twist of justice on August 10, 2011, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley were allowed to change their plea to "no contest" and were sentenced to 18 years and 78 days behind bars, which is time served thus far. The men  accepted a bargain known as an "Alford plea" in which  means the defendants acknowledge officially that the state has evidence against them, but can continue to claim their innocence in exchange for an 18-year sentence and credit for time served. Read the original Chittenden County Coroner's Report

New!   Review the autopsy reports of Emily Pimienta and Priscilla Pimienta, who were two sisters tragically killed in what police presume was a murder-suicide plot planned by their parents, Alfredo Pimienta and Georgina Pimienta. Priscilla's body was found in the swimming pool; Emily's body was also found in the swimming pool and her death was attributed to "drowning." Her toxicology studies also report she had acute intoxication from acetaminophen, diphenhydramine, and trazodone.   Alfredo's body was found in the swimming pool handcuffed, weighted, and bound. Georgina's body was found in the bathtub. Police also found found notes written by the parents that pointed to their shared involvement in the murder-suicide case.

New!   42nd Anniversary of Sharon Tate's Murder.  Review the autopsy report and death certificate of Sharon Tate Polanski, who was a talented actress who was married to actor, film director and producer, Roman Polanski.  On August 8, 1969, Sharon and several of her friends were murdered by members of the Charles Manson "family."  The following morning, the bodies of Tate, and her friends, Jay Sebring, Steven Parent, Abigail Folger, and Wojciech Frykowski, were found by Tate's housekeeper. Tate was eight and a half months pregnant at the time of her death.  According to her autopsy report, Tate was stabbed 16 times. Tate was interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California, with her son, Paul Richard Polanski (named posthumously for Polanski's and Tate's fathers), in her arms.

Review the autopsy report of former quarterback of the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens,  Steve McNair , and his mistress, Sahel Kazemi.

Review the autopsy report of Caylee Anthony, who was a toddler who disappeared in June 2008 and then was subsequently found dead. Her remains were found in a forested area close to the Anthony's house on December 11, 2008. On December 19, 2008, Dr. Jan Garavaglia, Chief Medical Examiner of Orange and Osceola Counties identified the remains as those of Caylee Anthony. The death was ruled a homicide by undetermined means.  Caylee's mother, Casey, has been charged with the first degree murder of her daughter.

Review the medical examiner's report of Elvis Presley, singer and songwriter, known as "The King of Rock N' Roll," or just "The King." Elvis was reported found unconscious in his bathroom by his girlfriend, Ginger Alden. Elvis was transferred to Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee,  where he was pronounced dead on arrival at 3:30 PM CST. The original cause of death was attributed to cardiac arrhythmias; however, conspiracy  theorists believe this was said to cover up the real cause of death associated with his prescription drug use. If you read the last page of the medical examiner's report it states he was found in his dressing room not his bathroom. The bathroom was the true location of Elvis's body.  The full autopsy report will be posted within the next month.

New!   Review the coroner's reports of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, well-known outlaws, robbers and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Bonnie and Clyde were ambushed and killed on May 23, 1934 on a rural road in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. The couple appeared in daylight in an automobile and were shot by a posse of four Texas officers, Frank Hamer, B.M. "Manny" Gault, Bob Alcorn and Ted Hinton; and two Louisiana officers Henderson Jordan and Prentiss Morel Oakley.

New!   Review the autopsy report of Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack, famed actress who starred in movies such as Clueless; Just Married; Girl, Interrupted; Spun; 8 Mile; Uptown Girls; Sin City; Happy Feet; and Riding in Cars with Boys. Brittany Murphy and her husband Simon Monjack died 5 months apart of community-acquired pneumonia. This report includes the autopsy report, police reports, and toxicology and microbiology reports. (File size is 13.8 MB). Also, review the autopsy report of her husband, Simon Monjack

Review the autopsy report of Lorenzen Wright, former basketball star, who played for several NBA teams, including the Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks, and Memphis Grizzlies. Wright's body was found in Southeast Memphis, Tennessee. The manner of death was listed as a homicide from "multiple gunshot wounds."

Review the autopsy report of Alabama minister, Reverend Gary Michael Alridge, whose bizarre death shocked his local church. Reverend Alridge was found dead after engaging in autoerotic fooling around that didn't go well. He was found hog-tied and wearing two complete wet suits, including a face mask, diving gloves and slippers, rubberized underwear, a head mask and a dildo firmly entrenched in his anus.

Review the autopsy report of Nodar Kumaritiashvili, Georgian luger, who was killed in a training run at the Whistler Sliding Centre day before the start of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada. Also, view the official accident report by the International Luge Federation as to their findings of the incident.

Review the autopsy report of Elisa Bridges, former Playboy Playmate of the Month for December 1994, who died of suspected "acute intoxication by the combined effects of heroin, methamphetamine, meperidine and alprazolam."

Review the autopsy report of Robert Pastorelli, actor of the television series, Murphy Brown. Pastorelli also starred in movies such as Striking Distance and Beverly Hills Cop II. His cause of death is listed as an accidental overdose resulting from "acute cocaine-morphine (heroin) toxicity."

Review the autopsy report of American author, David Foster Wallace, who committed suicide by hanging himself after a long struggle with depression.

Review the autopsy report of Kathy Ann Taft, member of the North Carolina State Board of Education who was brutally murdered while staying at her boyfriend's home in North Carolina.  

Review the autopsy report of Darrent Williams, former cornerback of the Denver Broncos, who was killed after being shot in the neck sitting in his car outside a Denver, Colorado, nightclub in 2007.

Review the autopsy report of Corey Haim, former actor who starred in The Lost Boys and movies such as License to Drive, who died of community acquired pneumonia, pulmonary edema, and an enlarged heart.

Review the autopsy report of Aja Johnson, and abductor, Lester Hobbs. Aja Johnson apparently had her throat cut. Her mother, Tonya Hobbs, was found back in January brutally murdered allegedly by her estranged husband, Lester Hobbs.  

Review the autopsy report of Dawn Brancheau, the SeaWorld Animal Trainer Killed in a freak attack by the killer whale, Tilikum.  View Eye Witness Police Reports          

Review the autopsy report of imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah, former leader of the Islamic group, Ummah, who was killed in an FBI raid in Detroit.

Review the autopsy report of the former porn star actress , Marilyn Chambers, who starred in "Behind the Green Door."

Review the autopsy report of the infamous American Bank Robber, John Dillinger.

Review the autopsy report of Malcom X Little!

Death Certificates

Review the death certificate of Timothy McVeigh, who orchestrated the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in American history prior to the September 11, 2001. At 9:02 a.m. on April 19, 1995, a Ryder rental truck, containing approximately 5,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, nitromethane, and diesel fuel was detonated in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, destroying a third of the building.  As a result of the massive explosion, 168 people were killed, including 19 children, and over 800 others were injured. McVeigh and his accomplices, Terry Nichols and Michael Fortier, were convicted and Timothy McVeigh was subsequently sentenced to death and was executed by lethal injection on June 11, 2001, at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Review the death certificate of James Earl Ray. On April 4, 1968, James Earl Ray assassinated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., outside the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.  Ray pleaded guilty to murder and was sentence to ninety-nine years in prison and served his time in Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary. If he was convicted he could have faced the death penalty by electrocution.  On April 23, 1998, James Earl Ray died of complications arising from kidney disease and hepatitis C, which he most likely contracted after receiving a blood transfusion.

Review the death certificate of Freddie Mercury, who was a talented British singer and songwriter who was the lead vocalist for the rock band, Queen.  On November 24, 1991, Freddie Mercury died as a result of "bronchopneumonia as a complication to AIDS."

Review the death certificate of Steve Jobs, who was the co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc. Jobs was co-founder and previously served as chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios. In 2009, Steve Jobs underwent a liver transplant after battling a neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas with subsequent surgery called a Whipple procedure.  On October 5, 2011, Steve Jobs died due to complications from relapse of his previously treated islet-cell neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer, resulting in respiratory arrest.

Review the death certificate of Chris Farley, well-known actor and comedian, who starred in the NBC television series, Saturday Night Live, and movies such as Billy Madison, Coneheads, Airheads, Tommy Boy, Wayne's World, and Black Sheep. On December  18, 1997, Farley was found deceased by his brother in his residence in the John Hancock Center in Chicago.  His official cause of death was listed as an accident resulting from "opiate and cocaine intoxication" with coronary atherosclerosis as a contributing factor to his death.

Review the death certificate of Kurt Cobain, lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band, Nirvana. Cobain was found dead at his home in Seattle with what was officially ruled a suicide by a self-inflicted "contact penetrating shotgun wound to the head." Cobain was cremated and his ashes into McLane Creek in Olympia, Washington.

Review the death certificate of Marilyn Monroe, who was a talented American actress and iconic sex symbol of the big screen. She starred in hit movies such as Bus Stop, getting a Golden Globe nomination; and winning a Golden Globe Award for Some Like It Hot. Marilyn was married to baseball legend Joe DiMaggio before divorcing him. After her death, Joe had a half-a-dozen red roses delivered to her grave three times a week for 20 years. On August 5, 1962, Marilyn was found early in the morning dead in her bed. Her  psychiatrist, Dr. Ralph Greenson called 911 to report Monroe was found dead at her home. Her toxicology report stated that eight milligram per cent of Chloral hydrate and 4.5 milligram percent of Nembutal were found in her system. Dr. Thomas Noguchi of the Los Angeles County Coroners office recorded cause of death as "acute barbiturate poisoning," resulting from a "probable suicide." There are several conspiracy theories that Marilyn's death was the result of the mafia or CIA; or it was rumored that she had affairs with John and Robert Kennedy. It was supposedly reported that last person who talked to Marilyn was the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy.

Review the death certificates of other known celebrities such as Australian actor,  Heath Ledger, who starred in films such as "The Patriot," "Monster's Ball," "A Knight's Tale," "Brokeback Mountain," and  "The Dark Knight." 

Review the death certificate of Charles Bronson, was a talented actor who starred in blockbuster movies such as  Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, Rider on the Rain, The Mechanic, and the popular Death Wish series.

Review the death certificates and police report of Jim Morrison, who was the lead singer for the rock group, The Doors. Morrison is ranked as one of the Rolling Stone's magazine "100 Greatest Singers of All Time." The Doors achieved national recognition after signing with Elektra Records in 1967. The single "Light My Fire" eventually reached number one on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. Read more about Jim under the "Death Certificates Section."

Review the death certificate of Lee Harvey Oswald, who, on November 22, 1963, assassinated John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States of America in Dallas, Texas as the president rode in his motorcade. 

Review the death certificate of John Lennon, iconic singer and songwriter and member of the The Beatles. On December 8, 1980, as he and his wife, Yoko Ono, were walking back to their apartment, The Dakota, located in Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, John was shot in the back four times by Mark David Chapman. John was taken to Roosevelt Hospital and was pronounced dead at 11:07PM. The causes of his death was listed as "multiple gunshot wounds of the left shoulder and chest; left lung and left subclavian artery resulting in external and internal hemorrhage and shock."

Review the death certificate of Al Capone, American gangster,  who was believed to have ordered the most notorious gangland killing of the century, the 1929 Saint Valentine's Day Massacre in the Lincoln Park neighborhood on Chicago's North Side. Capone died at 48 years of age of cardiac arrest after suffering a stroke.

New!   Review the death certificate of George Harrison, who was a English singer and songwriter, who was the lead guitarist for The Beatles.

Accident and Police Reports

Review the autopsy report of Dale Earnhardt, Sr., 7 time Winston Cup Champion, NASCAR Driver, who died February 18, 2001 during a last-lap crash at the 2001 Daytona 500. Cause of death was listed as a basilar skull fracture resulting from the crash.

Review the police accident report of Ralph Poffo, former professional wrestler known as Randy "Macho Man" Savage,  who was killed when he and his current wife, Barbara, were involved in a single vehicle accident. The jeep driven by Randy left the road and struck a tree. It was thought that Randy may have suffered a "heart attack" before the accident occurred. The full autopsy report will be available once published.

New!   Review the official NTSB accident investigation report of former New York Yankee pitcher, Cory Lidle, who was killed along with his instructor in an airplane crash in New York City on October 11, 2006. His Cirrus SR20, airplane, tail number N929CD, crashed into the Belaire Apartments complex on York Ave. at E. 72nd Street on New York City's Upper East Side, killing Cory Lidle and co-pilot/flight instructor, Tyler Stanger. In addition to the deaths of the two on board the airplane, 21 people were injured as a result of the accident, about half of them New York City firefighters. The medical examiner stated the cause of death of Lidle and Stanger was due to "multiple blunt trauma" injuries. Lidle post mortem toxicology test were negative. Consistent with the November 3, 2006 preliminary report, the NTSB's May 1, 2007 final hearing determined that "pilot error" caused the plane crash that killed Lidle and his flight instructor Tyler Stanger. The investigation was unable to determine which person was at the controls.

New! Review the death certificate of singer and songwriter, John Denver, who was killed on October 12, 1997, when his experimental airplane crashed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast Pacific Grove near Monterey County, California. The aircraft registration number was N555JD and the NTSB accident ID is LAX98FA008. His autopsy report states that he died from blunt force trauma. It also states there was no trace of alcohol or any other drug in his system.

Review the NTSB aircraft accident report, AAR-78-6, that details the events that occurred on October 20, 1977, involving the plane crash that killed Lynyrd Skynyrd band members, Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, and assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick. The plane was traveling from Greenville, South Carolina to Baton Rouge, Louisiana when it ran out of gas and crashed into a forest near Gillsburg, Mississippi. Also, review the autopsy report of Leon Wilkeson, former bassist for the Southern rock band, Lynyrd Skynyrd.  Leon was found dead in his hotel room with the official cause of death listed as an accident caused by "complications of emphysema associated with positional asphyxia" with contributing factors of drug intoxication and liver cirrhosis.

Review the accident investigation report describing the events of the crash that killed IndyCar driver, Dan Wheldon. Wheldon, who was born in Emberton, England, was a talent and rising race car driver. He was the 2005 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion in addition to winning the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 and 2011.  On October 16, 2011, Wheldon was racing in the 2011 IZOD IndyCar World Championship at the Las Vegas International Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was involved in a fifteen care pile-up and was tragically killed. On Lap 11, there was an initially pile-up involving cars driven by James Hinchcliffe and Wade Cunningham. Other vehicles eventually ended up colliding or collecting around the original pack of vehicles.  In the second pile-up that followed, two cars were launched into the air as they came upon the accident scene. One belonged to Will Power, who struck the catch fence after running over Lloyd's car. The other was Wheldon's vehicle, which was traveling at 220 miles per hour when he came upon the scene. Although he was able to slow his car down to 165 miles per hour, Wheldon's car was launched into the air after running over the back of Kimball's car. Wheldon's car was sent barrel-rolling and flying into the catch fencing on the outside of the second turn and Wheldon's head struck one of the fence posts. Wheldon was extracted from the care by track medical crews, and airlifted to University Medical Center where we was pronounced dead at 1:54 PM PDT. The cause of death is listed as "blunt force trauma to the head" as a result of the accident.

Review the accident report for the crash involving Ryan Dunn, a talented actor who starred in hit movies such as Jackass, Homewrecker, and Proving Ground. On June 20, 2011 at approximately 3:30AM, Dunn and his friend, Zachery Hartwell, died when the Porsche 911 GT3, driven by Dunn, went off the road and hit a tree in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania. According to the investigation, Dunn's car was estimated at traveling between 132 and 140 miles per hour before  the crash. Toxicology reports indicated that Dunn had a blood alcohol content of 0.196%, which is more than twice the legal limit.

Review the autopsy report and accident investigation report involving, Diane Schuler .  Diane Schuler was a devoted wife and mother of two beautiful children who was involved in a two vehicle collision on the Taconic State Parkway near Briarcliff Manor, New York, which killed eight people including herself. According to reports, Ms. Schuler was driving a 2003 minivan from a campground trip and went the wrong way on the Parkway traveling 1.7 miles in the northbound lanes before colliding with 2002 Chevrolet Tracker killing three men who were inside. Controversy remains on why Ms. Schuler was traveling the wrong way on the Parkway; however, he autopsy report shows that she had a Blood Alcohol Level of 0.19 and had THC, the main psychoactive substance found in marijuana, in her bloodstream at the time of the accident. Her death was the result of multiple internal and external injuries. There were many witnesses including bystanders at the campground, a McDonald's restaurant, and a gas station who testified that Ms. Schuler appeared well and and did not appear intoxicated. However, in the  hours leading up to the crash, there were reports by other drivers on the Parkway that Ms. Schuler's vehicle was driving erratically, and tailgating and honking it's horn at other vehicles. Ms. Schuler was also seen on several accounts  bent over at the side of the road appearing that she was vomiting.  Also, in the minutes prior to the accident, there was a call placed to Warren Hance, who is Diane Schuler's brother, by one of his daughters. Emma Hance stated,  “Daddy, there is something wrong with Aunt Diane and she is having trouble seeing and she is talking funny, she is slurring." At that time the vehicle was parked on the side of the road just past the Tappan Zee Bridge tollbooth. Mr. Hance called the cell phone back and told his sister to stay on the side of the road and not to travel any further until he arrived. Moments later, the car was spotted traveling in the wrong direction in the passing lane on the northbound side of the Parkway, and then subsequently collided with the other vehicle. Killed in the crash included Ms. Schuler, her daughter, Erin;  her nieces,  Emma, Alyson, and Kate Hance; and the three gentlemen in the other vehicle, Michael Bastardi, his son 49-year-old Guy Bastardi, and their friend, 74-year-old Dan Longo. Diane Schuler's son, Bryan, survived the accident; however, sustained severe injuries. It was reported that Ms. Schuler did consume alcohol on the camping trip, but not on the day of the accident. It was also reported that she used marijuana. This statement was confirmed by her husband as he told investigators that she did use marijuana occasionally. Her sister-in-law reported that she was a heavy drinker and smoked marijuana regularly. It was noted that  Ms. Schuler had a history of diabetes, and also suffered from an abscess shortly before the accident; however, the autopsy itself did not report any 'medical reason' for the crash. View the whole story of the accident.  View the Autopsy Report  View the Police Report

Tragic Events

Added is a page dedicated to the Jonestown Massacre in Guyana. Review the autopsy report of seven of the members of the People's Temple of Jonestown including Reverend Jim Jones.

Review the autopsy reports of the victims of the Columbine High School Massacre. These victims include: Cassie Bernall, Steve Curnow,  Corey DePooter,  Kelly Fleming,  Matt Kechter,  Daniel Mauser,  Daniel Rohrbough, William 'Dave' Sanders, Rachel  Scott,  Isaiah Shoels,  John Tomlin,  Lauren Townsend, and Kyle Velasquez.

Review the autopsy reports of the Columbine High School Massacre Shooters, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.

Review the case file and summary autopsy report of Emily Keyes, student killed in the Platte Canyon High School Hostage Crisis.

Review the autopsy reports of the victims of the Tucson shooting involving Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The victims who were killed on January 8, 2011 include Christina-Taylor Green, Dorothy Morris, Judge John Roll, Phyllis Schneck, Dorwan Stoddard, and Gabe Zimmerman.