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BAY COUNTY, FLA---Martin Lee Anderson didn't die a natural death from complications of sickle cell trait, a blood disorder, as one medical examiner said.
The 14-year-old boy who was beaten at a Bay County boot camp in Panama City in early January died by suffocation at the hands of sheriff's officials, according to Dr. Vernard Adams, Hillsborough County medical examiner.
Dr. Adams' autopsy conflicts with the initial autopsy performed by Dr. Charles Siebert, Bay County medical examiner.
"Martin Anderson's death was caused by suffocation due to actions of the guards at the boot camp", Adams said in his report. He said the suffocation was caused by hands of the sheriff's officers blocking the boy's mouth as well as the "forced inhalation of ammonia fumes" that caused his vocal cords to spasm, blocking his upper airway. He said that the boy was not beaten to death.
The family of Martin Lee Anderson has charged that a cover-up existed in the boy's death and had the boy's body exhumed for a second autopsy after seeing a videotape showing guards kicking and beating the boy while he was being restrained, hiring renowned pathologist Dr. Michael Baden and asking him to take part.
Baden was present, as was Siebert, when the second autopsy was performed by Dr. Adams.
Anderson was in his first day at the camp on where he had been sent as punishment for a probation violation Jan. 5 when he complained of breathing difficulties during exercises as part of the entry process into the facility. He collapsed and died. The guards had said in an incident report that they had used the ammonia capsules to keep Anderson conscious.
Reports from the Bay County Sheriff's office said that Anderson was being restrained because he had resisted attempts to get him to complete the exercise and for being "uncooperative."
"The findings of Dr. Vernard Adams regarding the cause of Martin Lee Anderson's tragic and unnecessary death shock the conscience", Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist said.
"The medical examiner's report represents the first evidence-based indication that Martin's death was not by natural causes, and makes it even more compelling that unanswered questions be pursued as vigorously as possible. I am dedicated to obtaining justice for Martin Lee Anderson, his parents and the people of Florida.
"We are fortunate to have State Attorney Mark Ober leading this investigation, for he is a man of utmost integrity with an abiding commitment to finding the truth. (The) autopsy findings are an important first step toward erasing the doubts that have clouded this case for four months and moving toward appropriate actions based on the evidence", Crist said.
Ober was named as the special prosecutor in the case by Gov. Jeb Bush following the removal of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and former commissioner Guy Tunnell from investigating the case.
Ober released a statement assuring "the family of Martin Anderson and the people of the state of Florida that my office is working diligently to aggressively investigate all aspects of this case". He declined to answer questions about Adams' findings.
Siebert has reportedly said that he stands by his original findings.
Gov. Bush released a statement saying that he was "disturbed by Dr. Adams' findings and consider the actions of the Bay County boot camp guards deplorable. I assure Gina Jones and Robert Anderson (Martin's parents) that the state remains committed to providing any resources state attorney Ober deems necessary to complete this investigation as quickly as possible".
Crist has asked the Florida Medical Examiners Commission to investigate autopsies conducted by Siebet that may have contained "fundamental flaws" and said Friday that Siebert probably should be suspended pending further review of the Anderson case.
He had asked the commission not to include in its review Siebert's autopsy report of Anderson because he says that any investigation of might impede an ongoing criminal investigation being conducted.
Crist made his request to the commission by letter, asking the state agency to determine if Siebert violated state law while performing at least three autopsies "and any other flawed autopsies of which we might not be aware".
A federal probe into the death has also been initiated by the U.S. Attorney's office in Tallahassee and the U.S Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division.
No guards or employees at the boot camp have been arrested or fired but the camp has been closed.
Anderson had been sent to the camp on a probation violation for trespassing at a school after he and his cousins had been charged with stealing their grandmother's car from a church parking lot.
Tunnell, FDLE commissioner, resigned in late April. Tunnell allegedly sent an e-mail to Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen, his successor, stating FDLE's intention to withhold the video which showed Bay County sheriff's officers beating the defenseless teen. There is also reportedly an e-mail by Tunnell to the Bay County Sheriff stating that FDLE would oppose the release of the video to media organizations. When two state legislators asked to see the videotape of Anderson's beating, Tunnell retorted, "Ain't gonna happen".
The FDLE was removed from the investigation after Ober learned of the e-mails and after Tunnell had had a previous meeting with Bush.
Gov. Bush acknowledged that Tunnell resigned after making inappropriate remarks about civil rights leaders who were in protests concerning the Anderson case.
According to reports, Tunnell reportedly compared Jackson to infamous outlaw Jesse James and U.S. Sen Barack Obama, D-Ill., to terrorist Osama bin Laden.
In a statement released after his resignation, Tunnell said his "attempt at humor was ill-conceived, ill-timed and inappropriate" and that he did not intend to be disrespectful. 5-05-06
© 2006 North
Country Gazette
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