New findings that Daniel Smith apparently died from a drug overdose do not appear to have moved Bahamian authorities any closer to deciding that an inquest is necessary into the sudden death of the son of American celebrity Anna Nicole Smith.
They say they will continue to await the results of toxicology and histopathology reports ordered by Bahamas forensic pathologist Dr. Govinda Raju before deciding whether to hold an inquest.
Journal sources close to the coronerﾒs court said those reports may already be in.
Chief Magistrate Roger Gomez told the Journal on Thursday that the findings by celebrity pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht in Danielﾒs death would not alter the process in The Bahamas.
“We still have to wait for the report from our pathologist,” Mr. Gomez said.
Dr. Wecht has announced that the findings of the report he ordered after performing a second, independent autopsy of Daniel Smith showed he died from a combination of methadone, Zoloft and Lexapro that led to cardiac dysrhythmia.
Dr. Wecht has said the overdose was accidental.
Daniel had reportedly been suffering depression related to a breakup with a girlfriend when he came to visit his mother and newborn half-sister in Nassau. Zoloft and Lexapro, which a U.S. doctor had prescribed, are antidepressants commonly used to treat anxiety and panic disorders.
Dr. Wecht said he did not know why the youth was taking methadone, a pain-reliever that is also used to ease heroin cravings for recovering addicts.
“It is used for people who have been on heroin or morphine,” he told the Associated Press from his home in the Pittsburgh area. “I have made those inquiries. I can only say to you no one has suggested anything having to do with drug addiction in this boy.”
The doctor who prescribed Danielﾒs anti-depression medication is said to be surprised to hear that a drug overdose was responsible for Danielﾒs death.
Magistrate Virgill insisted soon after the autopsy that the cause of death was not natural, though she did say she would await confirmation via the toxicology report.
Asked whether Dr. Wechtﾒs findings vindicate Coroner Linda Virgillﾒs labeling of the death as “suspicious,” Mr. Gomez said firmly, “Iﾒm not commenting on that.”
The Journal has learned that the autopsy performed by Dr. Raju reportedly showed the presence of multiple drugs in Danielﾒs system.
Mr. Gomez said he could make no comment until the reports ordered by Dr. Raju are received, and insisted that he did not have those reports in his possession.
Dr Wecht got the results of toxicology tests from National Medical Services in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania.
As for how coronersﾒ matters will be heard in the wake of the sudden reversal of a policy of having a dedicated coronerﾒs court and an exclusive coroner, Mr. Gomez explained that he has been hearing the daily coroners matters that would have been going on in coronerﾒs court since the decision.
The decision by Supreme Court Chief Justice Sir Burton Hall to revert to the practice of having every magistrate in the pool act as a coroner has received approval from the political directorate, although with strong emphasis on the independence of the judiciary.
Prime Minister Perry Christie and Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson, who as Minister of Legal Affairs has Cabinet responsibility for the judiciary, have both said that Sir Burton was well within his rights to decide as he did to scrap the exclusive coronerﾒs court.
Sir Burton offered no explanation for his decision at the time, and the prime minister and attorney general were both left to give their own interpretations of the possible benefits of the decision. In fact, Mr. Christie said quite plainly that it was up to Sir Burton to explain his decision.
The Christie administrationﾒs 2006 Speech from The Throne acknowledges a backlog of cases in the court system.
Governor General Arthur Hanna, reading the speech on February 15, said, “My government will provide every support to the judiciary inﾅimproved facilities and resources to address the backlog of cases.”
When questioned on how having already backlogged magistrateﾒs add to their caseload all the coronerﾒs matters needing to be heard, Mr. Gomez had insisted that Sir Burtonﾒs decision would ultimately speed up the process of hearing coronersﾒ matters, a position seconded by Mrs. Maynard-Gibson.
The chief magistrate told the Journal on Thursday that his office is drawing up a schedule now whereby magistrates will rotate hearing of coronersﾒ matters on a monthly basis.
Asked if this had been communicated to the magistrates yet, Mr. Gomez acknowledged that it had not.
“They know that we all have to participate in it now (because of Sir Burtonﾒs memorandum), but no details have been communicated to them as yet,” he said.
Mr. Gomez explained that even though the coronerﾒs court was established by a separate act, the act itself allows for every magistrate to act as a coroner.
Indeed, Section 3 of the Act says that “every magistrate and every commissioner shall, within the limits of his district, be ex officio coroner.”
By: Quincy Parker, The Bahama Journal
