"Post mortem
blood alcohol levels are not reliable. Microorganisms in decomposing bodies
can produce methyl
alcohol in amounts equal to intoxication." I always learn something when
I watch the character Grissom in
the tv series, CSI Las Vegas.
Quickly
I wrote down the quote, and as I waited for the search engine on my computer,
I realized that I was holding my breath. I was reliving the phone call
telling me that my daughter Bonnie had been killed in an accident - the
sheriff said that
"alcohol was involved." All her friends and family knew that this was wrong,
but we had no way to disprove the coroner's findings on blood alcohol level.
It
was reported that the vehicle had plunged 100 feet to the frozen river.
Bonnie's traumatized body had not been recovered for at least eight hours.
The accident caused chest injuries, broken limbs, and a concussion.
The Internet
provided many sites with information showing that the technology for blood
alcohol determination in living subjects had been applied to post mortem
inquiries - without formal testing! Results are not accurate.
So much for modern technology.
Gary Kunsman,
chief toxicologist with the Bexar County (Texas) medical examiner's office,
says that microorganisms in decomposing bodies frequently produce alcohol
in amounts equivalent to intoxication. At the Toxicology Lab at England's
Manchester Royal Infirmary, T. Richardson said that alcohol concentration
can reach very high levels in a few days, and physical disruption of the
body can enhance post-mortem blood alcohol production! - see http://www.ridl.us/articles/misleadingDD.htm Bonnie's
family and friends never lost faith as they carried the added pain of the
suggestion of recklessness. Now
she can rest in peace.
