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Stress Takes Toll on Troops in Iraq – Video May 5, 2007

Posted by Dan in Middle East, News, Video, War.
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troops in iraq

According to a new study, large numbers of troops are reporting symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The study even goes as far as to suggest that longer deployments are to blame. This report explains….

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Real Jessica Lynch Rescue Video April 28, 2007

Posted by Dan in Main, Middle East, Must Read, News, Politics, Video, War.
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Will

New video of PFC Jessica Lynch’s rescue from Iraqi hands over 4 years ago has risen to light. It is now clear just how different the reality of her extraction is from the White House reports at the time. I remember very clearly how the focus of American media shifted dramatically from the progress of the invasion, the failed hunt for Osama Bin Laden, the non-existant Weapons of Mass Destruction, and an ever elusive Saddam Hussein to this one missing Private. At the time, I was confounded… why was the media not reporting on the important things!? Why were we constantly forced to listen to an, as we now know, fabricated report of her capture, detainment, and rescue? It seemed ludicrous with all that was happening, to focus entirely on this one soldier.

Of course, I know now from my own conversations with reporters in Iraq at the time that the US Government simply was not providing information on anything other than Lynch. The reporters had to talk about her and her rescue because thats all the Government would talk about. Clearly, the White House wanted to distract the American public from the realities of a bungled war. If there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, we would’ve found some kind of evidence within the first few days of occupying Baghdad. When we didn’t, it became immediately apparent to the President, the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and anyone else “in the know” that the war was a massive mistake. By redirecting media focus to a “human story,” the capture and subsequent rescue of a cute, 19 year old girl seemed like just the thing to pull the wool over our eyes once again.

Now, we can see her rescue, as it really happened….

Click here to view more at liveleak.com

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Bush Using Troops in Iraq as Hostages Against Congress April 23, 2007

Posted by Dan in Main, Middle East, News, Politics, War.
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bush

From The New York Times:
By Paul Krugman

There are two ways to describe the confrontation between Congress and the Bush administration over funding for the Iraq surge. You can pretend that it’s a normal political dispute. Or you can see it for what it really is: a hostage situation, in which a beleaguered President Bush, barricaded in the White House, is threatening dire consequences for innocent bystanders — the troops — if his demands aren’t met.

If this were a normal political dispute, Democrats in Congress would clearly hold the upper hand: by a huge margin, Americans say they want a timetable for withdrawal, and by a large margin they also say they trust Congress, not Mr. Bush, to do a better job handling the situation in Iraq.

But this isn’t a normal political dispute. Mr. Bush isn’t really trying to win the argument on the merits. He’s just betting that the people outside the barricade care more than he does about the fate of those innocent bystanders.

What’s at stake right now is the latest Iraq “supplemental.” Since the beginning, the administration has refused to put funding for the war in its regular budgets. Instead, it keeps saying, in effect: “Whoops! Whaddya know, we’re running out of money. Give us another $87 billion.”

At one level, this is like the behavior of an irresponsible adolescent who repeatedly runs through his allowance, each time calling his parents to tell them he’s broke and needs extra cash.

What I haven’t seen sufficiently emphasized, however, is the disdain this practice shows for the welfare of the troops, whom the administration puts in harm’s way without first ensuring that they’ll have the necessary resources.

As long as a G.O.P.-controlled Congress could be counted on to rubber-stamp the administration’s requests, you could say that this wasn’t a real problem, that the administration’s refusal to put Iraq funding in the regular budget was just part of its usual reliance on fiscal smoke and mirrors. But this time Mr. Bush decided to surge additional troops into Iraq after an election in which the public overwhelmingly rejected his war — and then dared Congress to deny him the necessary funds. As I said, it’s an act of hostage-taking.

Actually, it’s even worse than that. According to reports, the final version of the funding bill Congress will send won’t even set a hard deadline for withdrawal. It will include only an “advisory,” nonbinding date. Yet Mr. Bush plans to veto the bill all the same — and will then accuse Congress of failing to support the troops.

The whole situation brings to mind what Abraham Lincoln said, in his great Cooper Union speech in 1860, about secessionists who blamed the critics of slavery for the looming civil war: “A highwayman holds a pistol to my ear, and mutters through his teeth, ‘Stand and deliver, or I shall kill you, and then you will be a murderer!’ ”

So how should Congress respond to Mr. Bush’s threats?

Everyone talks about the political risks of confrontation, recalling the backlash when Newt Gingrich shut down the federal government in 1995. But there’s a big difference between trying to force a fairly popular president to accept deep cuts in Medicare — which is what the 1995 confrontation was about — and trying to get a deeply unpopular, distrusted president to set some limits on an immensely unpopular war.

Meanwhile, there are big political risks on the other side. If Congress responds to a presidential veto by offering an even weaker bill, voters may well react with disgust, concluding that the whole debate over the war was nothing but political theater.

Anyway, never mind the political calculations. Confronting Mr. Bush on Iraq has become a patriotic duty.

The fact is that Mr. Bush’s refusal to face up to the failure of his Iraq adventure, his apparent determination to spend the rest of his term in denial, has become a clear and present danger to national security. Thanks to the demands of the Iraq war, we’re already a superpower without a strategic reserve, unable to respond to crises that might erupt elsewhere in the world. And more and more military experts warn that repeated deployments in Iraq — now extended to 15 months — are breaking the back of our volunteer military.

If nothing is done to wind down this war during the 21 months — 21 months! — Mr. Bush has left, the damage may be irreparable.

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Hundreds Killed in War for Somalia – UN Humanitarian Disaster April 21, 2007

Posted by Dan in Must Read, News, War.
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Somalia

At least 52 people have been killed in a fourth day of heavy fighting between Ethiopian troops and Islamist militia in Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu.

Doctors said there had been overrun with casualties and there were reports of bodies strewn across streets.

More than 130 people were killed and 200 injured in the first three days of fighting, a local rights group said.

Ethiopian forces have been in Mogadishu since December after helping Somalia’s transitional government oust Islamists.

The UN says more than 320,000 people have fled fighting in the capital since February.

‘Humanitarian disaster’

One confirmed attack on Saturday was on the al-Barakah market.

A number of people were killed when mortar rounds landed. Local reports spoke of bodies mutilated beyond recognition.

AFP news agency reported a mortar round also struck a bus in the southern Hodan district, killing four people.

Somalia’s Elman Human Rights Organisation said at least 52 people were killed in Saturday’s violence, which it described as the worst in recent years.

“I call on the both sides to stop the fighting and shelling without any condition,” chairman Sudan Ali Ahmed said to Associated Press news agency.

One resident, Ali Haji, said: “Ethiopians are trying to kill me because I am Somali, and insurgents are not happy because I am not picking up a gun and fighting with them. I have lost all hope.”

The UN is warning of a humanitarian disaster. Most of those who have fled lack food and water and hundreds have already died from cholera and diarrhoea, UN humanitarian co-ordinator Eric Laroche said.

Somalia has not had a functional government since 1991. A transitional government was formed in 2004, but has so far failed to take full control of the country.

‘Opportunistic violence’

Ethiopian forces backing the transitional government swept into Mogadishu in December displacing the Islamic Courts Union (UIC).

Violence has intensified since then, after the relative calm when the UIC ran the city.

The insurgents are believed to be a mixture of Islamist fighters and militiamen from the Hawiye clan – the largest in Mogadishu.

US Ambassador to Kenya and Somalia Michael Ranneberger said the ongoing violence was part of an attempt by these groups to create an insurgency, but that it was not yet a structured movement.

“At this point it’s opportunistic violence,” Mr Ranneberger told AP news agency. “They’re not organised like an insurgency.”

Ethiopian troops have started to withdraw, to be replaced by an African Union peacekeeping force, but only 1,200 of the 8,000 troops the AU says it needs have been deployed.

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U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq at 3,314 April 19, 2007

Posted by Dan in Middle East, Must Read, News, War.
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soldier

As of Thursday, April 19, 2007, at least 3,314 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,691 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military’s numbers.

The AP count is three higher than the Defense Department’s tally, last updated Thursday at 10 a.m. EDT.

The British military has reported 142 deaths; Italy, 33; Ukraine, 18; Poland, 19; Bulgaria, 13; Spain, 11; Denmark, six; El Salvador, five; Slovakia, four; Latvia, three; Estonia, Netherlands, Thailand, two each; and Australia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Romania, one death each.

Since the start of U.S. military operations in Iraq, 24,764 U.S. service members have been wounded in hostile action, according to the Defense Department’s weekly tally.

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Virginia Tech Shooting – 3D Virtual Timeline April 18, 2007

Posted by Dan in Main, News.
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vatechshooting

My deepest condolences and sympathy for all of those who lost loved one in the recent shooting at Virgina Tech. I must admit, I have been shocked by what transpired. Schools are supposed to be places of learning, not terror. I found myself asking, like many, what could possibly have lead someone to commit such indiscriminate violence? This question may never fully be resolved, but The New York Times had posted an interactive timeline of the events that can help.


Picture 1-1

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Iraqi Suicide Bomb Explodes in Parliament – No More Green Zone April 12, 2007

Posted by Dan in Middle East, Must Read, News, War.
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051114 Greenzone Hmed 4A.Hmedium

The so-called “Green Zone,” an area in Iraq supposedly under fierce coalition control, has been breached by a suicide bomber with the audacity to explode inside the Iraqi Parliament building, killing at least 2 Iraqi lawmakers. 8 Iraqis were killed in the blast and another 20 were wounded. No doubt, Senator John McCain is eating his words about Iraq’s expanding security.

This mp3 podcast from the New York Times explains what happened:

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Iraqis Showing Signs of Unity at Anti-US Rally in Najaf – Video April 9, 2007

Posted by Dan in Middle East, Must Read, News, Politics, War.
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Protestors in Iraq

Thousands of Iraqis have taken to the street to protest the American occupation. At least they’re doing something as a group! Perhaps thats the secret to unifying a foreign population. We’ve always known that an attack from an outside aggressor will coalesce even the oldest of enemies. It happened in World War 2 when Germany turned on Russia, forcing them to ally with us. Now, maybe it’s happening in Iraq… Sunnis and Shiites have a common enemy once again (it used to be Saddam, but now, unfortunately, we’ve begun to fill that role). Perhaps this is not a bad thing… Perhaps it is what the Iraqis need to form a true, unified government. The thirteen colonies would never have formed a federal union were it not for the threat of British aggression and the need to repel it. So maybe there is a silver lining to the seething hatred aimed at the United States… a lining of unification.

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Video of Bill O’Reilly Losing His Mind April 6, 2007

Posted by Dan in News, Politics, Video.
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He has finally gone way too far… Bill O’Reilly has really lost his mind. He explodes at Geraldo Rivera in this one on one…

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Anna Nicole Smith’s Autopsy Report March 26, 2007

Posted by Dan in News, Snipets.
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022

I really really hate this story. Its absurd that with all that is going on in the world, we’re force fed this drivel. The irony, of course, being that unless I write about Anna Nicole Smith, no one will know how much I think she shouldn’t be written about. So… in a desperate bid to put this story to rest, once and for all, here is Anna Nicole Smith’s final autopsy report. Let us have no further discussion of her death.


BROWARD COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER
5301 SW 31st AVENUE
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33312

NAME: Vickie Lynn Marshall AUTOPSY NO: 07-0223
SEX: Female DATE OF AUTOPSY: February 9, 2007
RACE: White TIME OF AUTOPSY: 10:36 a.m.
AGE: 39 PROSECTORS: Gertrude M. Juste, M.D.
DOB: 11/28/1967 Associate Medical Examiner
and
Joshua A. Perper, M.D.
Chief Medical Examiner

—————————————————————-
FINAL PATHOLOGICAL DIAGNOSES:

I.
ACUTE COMBINED DRUG INTOXICATION
A.
Toxic/lethal drug:
Chloral Hydrate (Noctec)
1.Trichloroethanol (TCE) 75ug/mL (active metabolite)
2.Trichloroacetic acid ( TCA) 85ug/mL (inactive metabolite)

B. Therapeutic drugs :
1. Diphenhydramine (Bendaryl) 0.11 mg/L
2. Clonazepam (Klonopin) 0.04 mg/L
3. Diazepam (Valium) 0.21 mg/L
4. Nordiazepam (metabolite) 0.38 mg/L
5 Temazepam (metabolite) 0.09 mg/L
6. Oxazepam 0.09 mg/L
7. Lorazepam 22.0 ng/mL

C. Other non-contributory drugs present (atropine, topiramate, ciprofloxacin,
acetaminophen)

II. LEFT GLUTEAL PANNICULITIS, WITH ABSCESS FORMATION AND
RECENT LINEAR HEMORRHAGE

III. FIBROSIS WITH FAT NECROSIS (CHRONIC REPEATED INJECTIONS OF
VARIOUS MEDICATIONS IN BUTTOCKS) OF DERMAL AND
SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUES, BILATERAL GLUTEAL REGIONS AND
ANTERIOR RIGHT THIGH

IV. GASTROENTERITIS, MILD, OF PROBABLE VIRAL ETIOLOGY

V. DEPRESSION FOLLOWING RECENT DELIVERY OF TERM INFANT AND
RECENT DEATH OF ADULT SON (SEPTEMBER 2006)
Vickie Lynn Marshall February 9, 2007 10:36 a.m. 07-0223

VI. MODERATE CONGESTIVE HEPATOMEGALY (2550 GRAMS)

VII. FIBROUS PLEURAL ADHESIONS

VIII. CHRONIC THYROIDITIS (HASHIMOTO THYROIDITIS)

IX. WELL HEALED SUPRAPUBIC SCAR (STATUS POST CESAREAN
SECTION)

X MINIMAL, INSIGNIFICANT MYOCARDIAL FIBROSIS

XI. STATUS POST MEDICAL INTERVENTION
A. Endotracheal tube placement
B. Right jugular line placement
C. Cardiac Monitoring devices and defibrillator pad placement
D. Bilateral anterior elbow and left anterior wrist venipuncture sites with
surrounding ecchymoses

XII. STATUS POST BILATERAL BREAST IMPLANTS WITH SCARRING, LEFT
AREOLA

XIII. MICRO-INFARCT OF BRAIN, LEFT OCCIPITAL WHITE MATTER

XIV. MINOR CONTUSIONS, POSTERIOR SHOULDERS

OPINION:

Vickie Lynn Marshall was a 39-year-old white female who died of acute combined drug
intoxication. Abscesses of buttocks, and viral enteritis were contributory causes of death.

The manner of death is determined to be: ACCIDENT

_______________________________________
Joshua A. Perper, M.D.,LL.B.,M.Sc. Date
Chief Medical Examiner

______________________________________
Gertrude M. Juste, MD Date
Associate Medical Examiner
GMJ/JAP:jb
2
Vickie Lynn Marshall February 9, 2007 10:36 a.m. 07-0223

OFFICIALS PRESENT AT AUTOPSY:

Joshua A. Perper, M.D.,LL.B.,M.Sc., Chief Medical Examiner; Gertrude M. Juste, M.D.,
Associate Medical Examiner; Predrag Bulich, M.D., Assistant Medical Examiner; Harold
Schueler, Phd., Chief Toxicologist; Stephen J. Cina, M.D., Deputy Chief Medical Examiner;
Joseph Anderson, Forensic Photographer; James Fleurimond, Forensic Photographer; Irma
Motem, Forensic Technician; Dean Reynolds, Morgue Supervisor; Reinhard W. Motte, M.D.,
Associate Medical Examiner; Detective Rich Engels of the Broward Sheriff’s Office, Crime
Scene Unit; Chief Tiger of the Seminole Police Department and Deputy Mike Jacobs of the
Seminole Police Department.

CLOTHING:

The body is clad in a light green hospital gown, which is intact, dry and clean. There is no
jewelry present.

EXTERNAL EXAMINATION:

The body is that of a well-developed, well-nourished white woman appearing the offered age of
39 years. The body measures 71 inches and weighs 178 pounds.

The unembalmed body is well preserved and cool to touch due to refrigeration. Rigor mortis is
fully developed in the major muscle groups. Livor mortis is fixed and purple posteriorly except
over pressure points. However, during initial examination in the emergency room, there was no
rigor and lividity was at a minimum and unfixed. The skin is intact and shows no evidence of
trauma except for medical intervention. The scalp hair is blond and measures up to 5 inches in
length in the frontal area and up to 19 inches in length in the back and on top of the head. There
are multiple blonde hair extensions including several pink strands attached to the natural hair,
which shows light brown roots. The irides are hazel and the pupils are equal, each measuring 0.5
centimeter in diameter. The corneae are clear and the sclerae and conjunctivae are free of
petechiae. The nasal bones are intact by palpation. The nares are patent and contain no foreign
matter. There is a 3-millimeter raised nodule on the right side of the nose. The natural teeth are
in good condition. The frenula are intact. The oral mucosa and tongue are free of injuries. The
external ears have no injuries. There are bilateral earlobe piercings; no earring or jewelry were
present. There are no earlobe creases.

The neck is symmetrical and shows no masses or injuries. The trachea is in the midline.
The shoulders are symmetrical and are free of scars.

The chest is symmetrical and shows no evidence of injury. There were bilateral breasts with
asymmetry of the left breast due to scarring. The flat abdomen has no injuries. There are
piercings above and below the umbilicus. The back is symmetrical. The buttocks have
inconspicuous small scars, bilaterally. There is a flat, round scar on the lower aspect of the left
buttock approximately 1⁄2 inch in diameter.

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Vickie Lynn Marshall February 9, 2007 10:36 a.m. 07-0223

The genitalia are those of a normally developed adult woman. There is no evidence of injury.
The anus is unremarkable.
The upper extremities are symmetrical and have no injuries. The fingernails are long and clean.
There is a linear 1⁄2 inch scar on the anterior right forearm. Two parallel linear scars measuring 1
inch and 2 inches are on the anterior surface of the left forearm.

The lower extremities are symmetrical. The toenails are short and clean. There is no edema of
the legs or ankles.

There is no abnormal motion of the neck, the shoulders, the elbows, the wrists, the fingers, the
hips and ankles. There is no bony crepitus or cutaneous crepitus present.

EVIDENCE OF INJURY:

A dissection of the posterior neck and upper back show a 2-1⁄4 x 2-3⁄4 inch reddish, recent
contusion of the subcutaneous and superficial muscle layer of the left posterior shoulder. A
recent, reddish, 1-3⁄4 x 1-1⁄2 inch reddish contusion is present on the right posterior shoulder
involving the superficial muscular layer.

EVIDENCE OF RECENT MEDICAL TREATMENT:

A properly positioned size 8 endotracheal tube retained by a Thomas clamp is present at the
mouth with the marker 22 at the anterior teeth.
Electrocardiogram pads are on the anterior chest in the following order: two on the right anterior
shoulder, two on the left anterior shoulder, one on the upper anterior left arm, one each on the
anterior side, one each on the anterior leg.

Two defibrillator pads are present: one to the right of the midline, above the right breast, and
one to the left of the midline, below the left breast.

There is intravenous line placement at the right anterior neck with hemorrhage into the anterior
strap muscles of the neck. One recent needle puncture mark is in the right antecubital fossa and
two recent needle puncture marks are at the anterior left elbow with surrounding ecchymoses.
There is one recent needle puncture into the medial one-third of the left anterior forearm with
surrounding ecchymosis. A recent needle puncture mark is at the left anterior wrist with
surrounding reddish ecchymosis, 1 inch in diameter.


4
Vickie Lynn Marshall February 9, 2007 10:36 a.m. 07-0223

OTHER IDENTIFYING FEATURES:

There are multiple scars and tattoos on the body.

SCARS:
A 3⁄4 x 1⁄2 inch flat scar is on the upper inner aspect of the right breast quadrant. A 1⁄2 x
3/8-inch scar is on the medial aspect of the left nipple. There are circular scars adjacent to both
areolae. The right inframammary skin has a linear transverse 3⁄4 inch remote “chest tube” scar.
There were bilateral inframammary and transverse linear 3-3⁄4 inch scars compatible with left and
right mammoplasty with breast implants. There are circular scars surrounding piercings above
and below the umbilicus. A flat 3/8 inch in diameter scar is present on the middle third of the
anterior surface of the right thigh. Lateral to this scar is a 1⁄2 inch in diameter flat scar. There are
several scattered small inconspicuous scars on both buttocks. There is a cluster of multiple,
parallel, linear, well-healed scars on the anterior and lateral aspects of the right leg covered by a
tattoo.

TATTOOS:

There is a pair of red lips in the right lower abdominal quadrant.
Two red cherries are on the right mid pelvis.
A “Playboy Bunny” is on the left anterior mid pelvis.
The words “Daniel” and “Papas” are on the mid anterior pelvis region.
A mixed tattoo on the right lower leg and ankle represents: Christ’s head; Our Lady of
Guadalupe; the Holy Bible; the naked torso of a woman; the smiling face of Marilyn Monroe; a
cross; a heart and shooting flames.
A mermaid on a flower bed with a pair of lips underneath it laying across the lower back.

INTERNAL EXAMINATION:

The body was opened with the usual Y incision. The breast tissues, when incised, revealed
bilateral implants, each containing 700ml of clear fluid. The implants were surrounded by a thick
connective tissue capsule with a thick yellow fluid. The content of each capsule was collected for
bacteriological cultures.


BODY CAVITIES:

The muscles of the chest and abdominal wall are normal in color and consistency. The lungs are
neither hyperinflated nor atelectatic when the pleural cavities are opened. The right lung shows
adherence to the parietal pleura and to the diaphragm interiorly. The ribs, sternum and spine
exhibit no fractures. The right and left pleural cavities have no free fluid. There are extensive
right pleural fibrous adhesions. The mediastinum is in the midline. The pericardial sac has a
normal amount of clear yellow fluid. The diaphragm has no abnormality. The subcutaneous
abdominal fat measures 3 centimeters in thickness at the umbilicus. The abdominal cavity is
lined with glistening serosa and has no collections of free fluid. The organs are normally
situated. The mesentery and omentum are unremarkable.

5
Vickie Lynn Marshall February 9, 2007 10:36 a.m. 07-0223

NECK:

The soft tissues and the strap muscles of the neck, aside from the previously described focal
hemorrhages, exhibit no abnormalities. The hyoid bone and the cartilages of the larynx and
thyroid are intact and show no evidence of injury. The larynx and trachea are lined by smooth
pink-tan mucosa, are patent and contain no foreign matter. There is a focal area of reddish
hyperemia at the carina associated with the endotracheal tube. The epiglottis and vocal cords are
unremarkable. The cervical vertebral column is intact. The carotid arteries and jugular veins are
unremarkable.

CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM:

The heart and great vessels contain dark red liquid blood and little postmortem clots. The heart
weighs 305 grams. The epicardial surface has a normal amount of glistening, yellow adipose
tissue. The coronary arteries are free of atherosclerosis. The cut surfaces of the brown
myocardium show no evidence of hemorrhage or necrosis.

The pulmonary trunk and arteries are opened in situ and there is no evidence of thromboemboli.
The intimal surface of the aorta is smooth with a few scattered yellow atheromata. The ostia of
the major branches are of normal distribution and dimension. The inferior vena cava and
tributaries have no antemortem clots (See attached cardiopathology report for additional details).

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM:

The lungs weigh 550 grams and 500 grams, right and left, respectively. There is a small amount
of subpleural anthracotic pigment within all the lobes. The pleural surfaces are free of exudates;
right-sided pleural adhesions have been described above. The trachea and bronchi have smooth
tan epithelium. The cut surfaces of the lungs are red-pink and have mild edema. The lung
parenchyma is of the usual consistency and shows no evidence of neoplasm, consolidation,
thromboemboli, fibrosis or calcification.

HEPATOBILIARY SYSTEM:

The liver weighs 2550 grams. The liver edge is somewhat blunted. The capsule is intact. The
cut surfaces are red-brown and of normal consistency. There are no focal lesions. The
gallbladder contains 15 milliliters of dark green bile. There are no stones. The mucosa is
unremarkable. The large bile ducts are patent and non-dilated.


HEMOLYMPHATIC SYSTEM:


The thymus is not identified. The spleen weighs 310 grams. The capsule is shiny, smooth and
intact. The cut surfaces are firm and moderately congested. The lymphoid tissue in the spleen
is within a normal range. The lymph nodes throughout the body are not enlarged.

6
Vickie Lynn Marshall February 9, 2007 10:36 a.m. 07-0223

GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM:

The tongue shows a small focus of submucosal hemorrhage near the tip. The esophagus is
empty and the mucosa is unremarkable. The stomach contains an estimated 30 milliliters of
thick sanguinous fluid. The gastric mucosa shows no evidence or ulceration. There is a mild
flattening of the rugal pattern within the antrum with intense hyperemia. The duodenum
contains bile-stained thick tan fluid. The jejunum, ileum, and the colon contain yellowish fluid
with a thick, cloudy, particulate matter. There is no major alteration to internal and external
inspection and palpation except for a yellowish/white shiny discoloration of the mucosa. The
vermiform appendix is identified. The pancreas is tan, lobulated and shows no neoplasia,
calcification or hemorrhage.

There are no intraluminal masses or pseudomenbrane.


UROGENITAL SYSTEM:

The kidneys are of similar size and shape and weigh 160 grams and 190 grams, right and left,
respectively. The capsules are intact and strip with ease. The cortical surfaces are purplish,
congested and mildly granular. The cut surfaces reveal a well-defined corticomedullary junction.
There are no structural abnormalities of the medullae, calyces or pelves. The ureters are slender
and patent. The urinary bladder has approximately 0.5 milliliters of cloudy yellow urine. The
mucosa is unremarkable.

The vagina is normally wrinkled and contains no foreign matter. The uterus shows a reddish
endometrial lining with no evidence of intra-uterine pregnancy. The fallopian tubes and ovaries
are within normal limits.

ENDOCRINE SYSTEM:

The adrenal glands have a normal configuration with the golden yellow cortices well demarcated
from the underlying medullae and there is no evidence of hemorrhage. The thyroid gland is
mildly fibrotic and has focally pale gray parenchyma on sectioning. The pituitary gland is within
normal limits.

MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM:

Postmortem radiographs of the body show no acute, healed or healing fractures of the head,
the neck, the appendicular skeleton or the axial skeleton. The muscles are normally formed.

Dissection of the right anterior thigh in the aforementioned areas of scarring revealed
subcutaneous fibrosis and multiple small cysts containing turbid, yellow fluid. The cyst-like
structures range in sizes from 0.5 centimeters to 1.2 centimeters in diameter. The cyst associated
with the most medial scar is 8 millimeter in diameter and has a calcified wall and the cyst
associated with the more lateral scar measures 1 centimeter in diameter.

7
Vickie Lynn Marshall February 9, 2007 10:36 a.m. 07-0223

Dissection of the buttocks reveals diffuse subcutaneous scarring and fat necrosis of the adipose
tissue bilaterally with three subcutaneous cystic structures containing light yellow, clear, thick
liquid within the left buttock. The right buttock contains similar cysts with similar content, with
at least one cyst wall being calcified.

The left and right buttocks have foci of recent, hemorrhagic tracts within the subcutaneous
adipose tissue and the superficial and deep muscular layers extending from the skin surface.

There is a deep-seated 3 x 2.5 x 2 centimeter abscess within the musculature of the left buttock
with a creamy, yellow-green pus on sectioning. A recent, hemorrhagic, needle tract extends into
the abscess wall from the skin surface.

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM:


The scalp has no hemorrhage or contusions. The calvarium is intact. There is no epidural,
subdural or subarachnoid hemorrhage. The brain has a normal convolutional pattern and weighs
1300 grams. The meninges are clear. The cortical surfaces of the brain have mild to moderate
flattening of the gyri with narrowing of the sulci.

The brain is cut after formalin fixation and a separate neuropathology report is attached.

SPECIAL PROCEDURES:

Layer by layer anterior and posterior neck dissections were conducted.

Dissection of the entire back including both gluteal regions was conducted. A biological

trace evidence was collected. Multiple hairs were pulled from various parts of the head.

The nails of the left hand were cut and preserved. Additional blood and tissue samples for

DNA was collected.

8

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