Addressing members of the local and international press on Thursday, Assistant Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson, who was flanked by members of the investigating team, said Danielﾒs cause of death was not known.
Daniel Smith was the son of American reality TV star Anna Nicole Smith, who was recently granted permanent residency status in The Bahamas. He was found dead at Doctors Hospital Sunday morning while visiting his mother and newborn baby sister.
“We await the results of the toxicological and other analysis and the autopsy. A death certificate has not been issued,” said Mr. Ferguson, who kept a close lid on details surrounding the case.
Forensic pathologist, Dr Govinda Raju, reportedly conducted an autopsy on Danielﾒs body on Tuesday.
According to Mr. Ferguson, the samples collected from the young manﾒs body were forwarded to the policeﾒs forensics department, which has started its toxicological and other analysis.
Coroner Virgill had expected the toxicology report to be completed by midday Thursday. She has also revealed at a press conference of her own on Wednesday that she has secured the results of the autopsy.
On Thursday, police confirmed that the other person in the hospital room at the time of Danielﾒs sudden death was Ms. Smithﾒs US attorney and family friend, Howard K. Stern
Mr. Stern reportedly picked up Daniel from the Lynden Pindling airport following a flight from Miami, Florida on Saturday and drove straight to Doctors Hospital.
Just days earlier, Ms. Smith had given birth at the hospital.
Based on a statement released by Ms. Smithﾒs Bahamian attorney, Michael Scott, on Wednesday night, with one exception, Mr. Stern and Daniel spent the entire evening with Ms. Smith in her hospital room.
The one exception, he said, was when Mr. Stern left to get food.
“Anna Nicole, Daniel and Howard spent the entire night together and had a wonderful time with Anna Nicoleﾒs newborn baby,” the release read.
“ﾅLater in the morning, Anna Nicole awoke and noticed that her son appeared not to be breathing. Anna Nicole frantically awakened Howard, who immediately checked Danielﾒs neck for a pulse and the nurses were immediately summoned.”
Earlier this week, officials at Doctors Hospital said they performed resuscitative efforts on Smith after observing that he had been unresponsive.
Officials said these efforts continued for approximately 23 minutes.
“Upon arrival at Doctors Hospital, officers discovered the lifeless body of a male Caucasian in room 201, lying on his back in one of the two beds in the room,” Mr. Ferguson said.
“Present in the room were several doctors, other health care professionals (from Doctors Hospital), Ms. Smith and another male, who identified himself as Howard Sternﾅ.”
Mr. Ferguson however stressed that there was nothing unusual about the condition of the hospital room.
Police have said that there were no visible signs of injury on Danielﾒs body or any signs of violence, a conclusion Coroner Virgill supported.
Authorities have consequently classified the young manﾒs death as “suspicious.”
“Anna Nicole was so distraught at the loss of Daniel that she refused to leave his side and it was necessary to sedate her in order to check her out of the hospital. This step was taken upon the recommendation of her attending physicians and because of the realization that as soon as Danielﾒs death became public, worldwide media would descend upon the hospital,” the release further pointed out.
“The devastation and grief over Danielﾒs death, coupled with sedation, has been so extreme that Anna Nicole experienced memory loss of the event. It was necessary for Howard to tell Anna again that Daniel had passed away.”
As is the case with all suspicious deaths, an inquest will be held to legally determine how, when, where and by what manner a person would have met his or her death, Coroner Virgill said on Wednesday.
When asked if Ms. Smith is free to leave the country, Mr. Ferguson pointed out that while the police cannot speak to her physical condition, the police are not hindering her from leaving the country, nor are they hindering Mr. Stern from leaving.
Remaining evasive on whether they were questioning airline flight crews, police said only that they were questioning “a number of persons.”
A coronerﾒs inquest into Danielﾒs death has been set for October 23 at 10am.
Anna Nicole, who recently moved to The Bahamas to avoid the intense media scrutiny in the United States that she had received throughout her career, is expected to appear as one of the key witnesses.
By: Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal
