Regional Criminal Law News: Cause of Death Investigated
This week, The South Reporter filed this story detailing the re-investigation of the death of Frank Alexander, who died in Marshall County on August 26, 2007. Staff Writer Sue Watson notes the following:
The involvement of Dr. Hayne in this case is important because his qualifications as a forensic pathologist, or lack thereof, have been recently and publicly called into question. The Clarion Ledger has filed this report, and the issue has been discussed at length on folo with these highlights: Mississippi Innocence Project goes for Hayne's Medical License; Yet Another Stephen Hayne Horror Story; and Fixing the State Medical Examiner Mess. Good luck to the Marshall County Sheriff's Department in solving the case, and lets hope they get some help from a qualified medical examiner.According to Kelly McMillen with the sheriff’s office, deputies were called to the residence and coroner John Garrison also came to the house and pronounced Alexander dead, apparently of natural causes, according to the coroner’s report.
The body of the deceased was transported to a funeral home in Memphis, Tenn., and then from there carried to Jackson for autopsy, McMillen said. After autopsy, Alexander’s body was returned to Tennessee for burial.
On September 4, 2007, members of the Alexander family from Marshall County and St. Louis, said they were not satisfied with the determination of the cause of death in the autopsy report and asked the sheriff’s department to launch an investigation, Dickerson said.
McMillen said he spoke with Dr. Stephen Haynes [sic], with the state medical examiner’s office in Jackson, discussing with him the families concerns about the cause and manner of death.
“During the conversation, I was advised by the medical examiner that Mr. Alexander’s body had to be exhumed for more tissue samples and testing,” McMillen said. “Then I went to work on getting an order to exhume the body in Shelby County.”
It took six months to get the order to exhume the body and it was removed from the grave in a cemetery on Horn Lake Road in Memphis, Tenn., on March 11.
I need your help in any way you can. I think something fishy going on with my fathers autopsy. He passed away on April 1, 2008 around 1847 hrs-1730 hrs, and the autopsy report has it was complete on April 2, 2008 on 1730 hrs, seems mighty fast for a busy man. We had called many times to stress we thought there were some foul play by my step-mother with his medicines and needed to know what was everything in him. He determined the case as Natural death. Yes my father had heart problems,sugar, and lupus. But we needed to know more and unless you know people or law officier, money, or court orders, there is only so much you can do. I have a few facts that I could get my hands on. If there is anything you can do or advice you can give me, Please Help.
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