Police also confirmed that Mr Stern, who is also described as a “family friend”, was the third person in Doctors Hospital room 201 when 20-year-old Daniel Wayne Smith died Sunday morning.
While police yesterday maintained that the cause of death is still unknown at this time, The Tribune has learned that all tests on Daniel’s body are expected to be completed in the next two days and that the body will be sent to California no later than Saturday.
Bahamian police called a special press conference yesterday at the ﾠComstat room at headquarters to inform local and foreign press about the latest developments in the case.
Addressing the press, Assistant Commissioner of Police, officer in charge of crime Reginald Ferguson could give little new information about the investigation into Daniel’s death, but said that at this time no “embargo” has been placed on Ms Smith or Mr Stern.
Police yesterday also confirmed that Daniel arrived in the Bahamas last Saturday at 9:00pm from Miami on an American Eagle flight.
He was met at the airport by Mr Stern who drove him to Doctors Hospital to visit his mother and newborn sister.
ASP Ferguson told the press yesterday that the police control room received a call from Doctors Hospital informing them of the death of Daniel at around 10:25am on Sunday.
When officers arrived at the hospital, they discovered the “lifeless body of a male Caucasian in room number 201 lying on its back in one of the two beds in the room,” Mr Ferguson said.
“Present in the room were several doctors, other healthcare professionals from Doctors Hospital, Ms Anna Nicole Smith, mother of the deceased, and another male who identified himself as Mr Howard Stern, Ms Smith’s attorney and a family friend,” he said.
The assistant commissioner said that Daniel spent the entire night in the hospital room with his mother, the baby and Mr Stern.
“Our inquiries indicate that Mr Smith was last seen moving about the room at 6:30am. At 7:40am all three adults were observed to be asleep in the room. Our information is that around 9:38am an alarm was sounded at the nurse’s station from room 201,” Mr Ferguson said.
After 23 minutes of resuscitation efforts, Daniel was pronounced dead at 10:05am.
According to her Bahamian attorney Michael Scott, Ms Smith experienced memory loss and had to be reminded of what had happened.
At 1:45pm on Sunday, Mr Ferguson said, Daniel’s body was transferred to the morgue at Princess Margaret Hospital.
The autopsy on Daniel’s body was performed on Tuesday by forensic pathologist Dr Govinda Raju.
“The samples collected from Smith’s body by Dr Raju were forwarded to the forensic science section of the Royal Bahamas Police Force later that same day.
“To date the cause of death is not known. We await the results of the toxicological and other analysis and the autopsy. A death certificate has not been issued,” Mr Ferguson said.
Police would not say if they are questioning airport or American Eagle personnel, but Chief ﾠSupterintendent, and senior director of media relations Hulan Hanna said that at this time “a number” of persons are being questioned.
Loretta Butler-Turner of Butler’s Funeral told The Tribune yesterday that Ms Smith’s lawyer, Mr Stern, called her family’s funeral home on Sunday afternoon after Daniel’s death.
She said that Mr Stern made all the necessary arrangements. Mrs Butler-Turner said she has been in contact with Coroner Linda Virgill and understands that as soon as the toxicology report has been completed, Daniel’s body will be turned over to them.
She said she expected that to happen sometime today.
After the body is embalmed for transport, it will be sent to California. Mrs Butler-Turner said that it will take the funeral home only about a day to prepare the body.
At this time she said she did not know if the body would be transported by commercial airline or private plane.
Mrs Turner-Butler said that although she does not know how Mr Stern became aware of her establishment, Butler’s Funeral Home has a good reputation in diplomatic and international circles.
“We handled the body of (Rn’B singer) Aaliyah back in 2001 and all the people who were travelling with her. We also handled the bodies of the Austrian aristocrats who were killed in Bimini last year,” she said.
[BahamasB2B Editor’s Note: It almost appears that this woman is proud of all the visitors who die while visiting The Bahamas. Ms. Butler’s political crony connections keep her at the forefront of funeral home recommendations, but some say she exploits the situation to the disadvantage of the deceased’s family. ﾠWhile her company ‘handled’ the body of Aaliyah, they allegedly charged such an outrageous amount that the recording company balked at having to pay the bill.]
On the question of whether Bahamian police are currently working with a US law enforcement agency, ASP Ferguson would only say that his officers would seek foreign assistance when the need arises.
However, US Ambassador John Rood yesterday told The Tribune that US officials are “confident that Bahamian authorities are going to thoroughly investigate this.”
“We have a great working relationship,” he said.
By KARIN HERIG, Tribune Staff Reporter
