Jon Thogmartin, medical examiner for Pinellas and Pasco counties, tells the St. Petersburg Times newspaper he made the decision to conduct an autopsy if necessary and said it had nothing to do with Michael's change of heart.
"We have determined to be involved because of the statutes and because the people of the state of Florida say we are involved," Pellan said. "Not because Michael Schiavo wants us involved."
Felos' media appearance came on Tuesday, after Pellan's decision and the medical examiner told the St. Petersburg newspaper, "There was not a call from Mr. Felos."
CORRECTION: Florida Statute puts the autopsy decision in the hands of the Medical Examiner in cases of pending cremation. So Michael Schiavo can't block an autopsy, he can request one.
Dear Mr. Murdock,
Your piece, "Not Just the God Squad," is eloquent and very well-researched. But perhaps you will forgive me for one bit of nit-picking: Michael Schiavo didn't so much "allow" an autopsy as he let himself get painted into a corner and trapped into it.
For years he's been insisting that Terri would want to be cremated, ostensibly because she is "afraid of bugs." But it turns out that in Florida, an autopsy is mandatory prior to cremation. So Michael was left with the choice of staying the course -- in which case he has no choice about the autopsy -- or backtracking and saying that Terri wasn't so afraid of bugs that it would bother her to be buried with them. But he couldn't backtrack on the cremation, which he was so sure she wanted, without also being challenged about the removal of the feeding tube, which was done purely because he said that was what she wanted.
So, the only reason he's "allowing" the autopsy is that he has only one way to avoid it: admitting that he isn't a reliable judge of what Terri did or didn't want, which would make his whole argument in favor of killing her collapse like a house of cards.
Okay, nixing the cremation is out, because if he changes his tune on that, he loses his credibility on the feeding tube issue. That leaves him stuck with the pending autopsy and no way to avoid it. So he sends his lawyer out to make a statement indicating that the autopsy was his idea in the first place, to clear his name.
Isn't it amazing how the layers of lies just multiply like bacteria in a toilet bowl?
Christina
Okay, it's not that the autopsy was mandatory, it's that it was going to happen regardless of what Michael wanted because the ME's office decided that they wanted to know what the heck was going on.
Mr. Felos, be sure your sins will find out out.
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