Trayvon Martin's Autopsy

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No DNA from GZ under TM's fingernails.
So that leaves out the wounds on GZ's head being fingernail scratch wounds.
 
I had posted this on another thread earlier in a response to Concerned Papa:

Now that we have the ME's report that the shot was straight into the chest, I see I was wrong in thinking it could have been from L to R to do all that damage. But I am wondering if all this damage to the heart and lungs could be because of the use of the hollow point bullet. Don't they shatter and cause more damage to the body? The ME found fragments. Could that be what caused such damage to Trayvon?
 
I think the hollow point bullet is what caused so much damage.

I was speaking to a friend of mine that is a detective. We were discussing this case.
I brought up the hollow point bullet point. He said that's what he uses and suggested that a lot of people do.
 
We now know that TM was 71 inches tall (5' 9") and weighed 158 pounds = average height and skinny

We also know that GZ wore a size 38 pants and an XL jacket = heavy guy or as the one witness referred to him the "Bulky Built Guy."
 
Can't remember where I read it, but the hollow point is used to assure a kill.
 
Interesting that Trayvon had no injuries other than the GSW and a very small abrasion to one finger on the left hand. I think GZ got hit in the nose/face with the butt of his gun.
 
We now know that TM was 71 inches tall (5' 9") and weighed 158 pounds = average height and skinny

We also know that GZ wore a size 38 pants and an XL jacket = heavy guy or as the one witness referred to him the "Bulky Built Guy."

No, 71 inches is 5'11"
 
So, Trayvon was only 5'9"? What happened to all the talk of him towering over George?
 
There was nothing in the autopsy that was a surprise to me. The intrathoracic damage was as I expected-- direct hit to heart, right ventricle. Not a survivable wound, even if he was in an ER. About 2300cc in the chest. Fragmentation of the projectile, with bits lodging behind the right lung-- projectile bounced around. Everything else pretty much heartbreakingly normal and healthy. Organs, sizes, etc. all look WNL to me at first glance.

Tox positive for THC and THC-COOH (metabolite of THC-- not psychoactive). Low venous levels of THC mean he hadn't smoked/ ingested in the past hour or so, but anywhere from a few hours to a few days, according to some sources. His school suspension history suggests possible chronic use. Hair samples (both head and pubic) were retained and not sent-- opening the door for potential future testing for chemical exposure or chronic ingestion of a variety of substances. (Pubic samples are more accurate than head hair.)

It seems a very straightforward autopsy report to me-- nothing odd or out of the ordinary. But I am not an ME. I'm going to go do a second read and see what other details I can glean.

Adding link to a pic for reference. THIS IS NOT AN AUTOPSY PIC FROM TM. This is a surgical pic-- graphic, but highly relevant to our discussion. Occurred in South Africa-- patient was shot outside an ER. Pt was alive at the time of this pic, and died minutes later, according to the article. This is quite similar to the type of damage TM suffered. This pic is of damage to the right atria, which is called the "auricle" in the narrative.

http://www.trauma.org/images/image_library/11295854864GSW_heart_damage.jpg

http://www.trauma.org/index.php/main/image/1223/C11
*Note the position of the hemostat in the entry wound at the top of the pic. Follows the bullet trajectory into the chest and heart.
 
Can't remember where I read it, but the hollow point is used to assure a kill.

As are guns.

You should never pull a gun unless you are prepared to kill.

JMO
 
As are guns.

You should never pull a gun unless you are prepared to kill.

JMO

IMO, that's beside the point. The way I read it, hollow points assure mucho internal damage in a way other bullets don't. So, a hollow point is not going to exit the body. It is meant to spread and kill. Guns can also just wound. Hollow points as I understand it, guarantee the ultimate damage. So, I think, they are more likely to kill than wound. Besides, if this were not so, why get hollow points when any old bullet would do?
 
IMO, that's beside the point. The way I read it, hollow points assure mucho internal damage in a way other bullets don't. So, a hollow point is not going to exit the body. It is meant to spread and kill. Guns can also just wound. Hollow points as I understand it, guarantee the ultimate damage. So, I think, they are more likely to kill than wound. Besides, if this were not so, why get hollow points when any old bullet would do?

I didn't know the difference as I am not a gun kinda person.

But after talking to my detective friend and my husband, I don't think it's at all odd for the average Joe to use hollow point bullets.

Both of the men in my example have them in their guns.
They are both great people.

Again, if you pull a gun, you should be ok with killing someone.

In my husbands case, the gun is for protection.
If someone messes with his family, they are getting a hollow point.

I don't think that's uncommon or indicative of someone's character.

JMO
 
Couple things I noticed on my second perusal of the AR.

Timeline & misc observations:
*TM died at approx 7:30 pm on Feb 26 (Sunday)
*Autopsy started 10:30 am Feb 27 (Monday) [15 hours after death]

There appears some confusion about when the ME knew the identity of his subject. On some of the docs, birthdate and identity are listed as "Unknown", but in the narrative AR, the first sentence or so says the victim is a "....black male, appearing the stated age of 17....". IIRC, Tracy Martin was notified Monday morning when he contacted police to report TM missing.Tracy was shown pics, and identified TM this way. By the time the ME dictated the report, TM's identity was known. IDK if the ME dictates right away, or when he dictated. Just caught my eye.

So, I'm wondering if confirmation of identity was coming in AS the autopsy was commencing. Not that it matters, but it caught my eye. No family or parental consent is needed for an autopsy for a homicide-- so the processing of the case was proceeding even as identity was being confirmed.

*No outside officials (such as LE investigators) attended the autopsy. I don't know enough about ordinary procedure to determine if this is common when the death has been witnessed? Perhaps LE only attends if there is an unwitnessed or suspicious death. Dunno.

*Bullet fragmented into 3 pieces.
*Bullet entered between the ribs-- did not hit bone. (Any bone, including spine.)
 
IMO, that's beside the point. The way I read it, hollow points assure mucho internal damage in a way other bullets don't. So, a hollow point is not going to exit the body. It is meant to spread and kill. Guns can also just wound. Hollow points as I understand it, guarantee the ultimate damage. So, I think, they are more likely to kill than wound. Besides, if this were not so, why get hollow points when any old bullet would do?

Well, one reason is if you are carrying for protection, you don't want the bullet passing through the person who is attacking you and injuring an innocent bystander.
 
No, 71 inches is 5'11"
oops, tired, I divided 71 by 12

Anyway 5'11 is still average height...in my book anything under is short :)
over 6' is tall over 6'5 is really tall, IMO
 
Just an emotional observation.. After reading only the first page, one mom to another, I am hoping that his mom never, ever attempts to read this autopsy report. The clinical coldness (albeit necessary) is bone chilling..
 
oops, tired, I divided 71 by 12

Anyway 5'11 is still average height...in my book anything under is short :)
over 6' is tall over 6'5 is really tall, IMO

I am 4'11" and 3/4 so I lie and say 5' lol,anyone taller then 5'5 is tall and over 6' a giant to me.My daughters bf is 6'6 to me he is awesomely tall lol.
 
Just an emotional observation.. After reading only the first page, one mom to another, I am hoping that his mom never, ever attempts to read this autopsy report. The clinical coldness (albeit necessary) is bone chilling..

I agree but most likely at some point she will my Aunt read my cousins 5 yrs after he was murdered in 1977 it was almost as bad as when she first found out her son was murdered and what that monster did to him. I will never ever read it but I do know what it says.When my mom passed 30th will make 3 yrs I did get a copy but it has never been opened most likely never will be. I use to be able to read them when following cases but have not been able to go back to reading them since my mom passed.
 
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