Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Autopsy expected to take all day

Supporters, including a sickle cell organization, refute earlier findings and hope their questions are answered in the second examination.

By KEVIN GRAHAM
Published March 13, 2006

	[Times photo: Ken Helle]
	Gina Jones holds a photo of her son, Martin Lee Anderson taken just before the teen entered a boot camp in the Panhandle. Jones was accompanied by her attorney, Ben Crump.
	Go to interactive

About 50 people went to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office this morning to show support for the family of Martin Lee Anderson, the 14-year-old who died Jan. 6 after a struggle with guards in a Panhandle boot camp.

Supporters included representatives of the state and Panama City NAACP, representatives of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Frank Reddick of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America was there to denounced the earlier autospy finding that Anderson had died as a result of having the sickle cell trait.

Adora Obi Nweze of the NAACP said she hopes today's autospy results will provide a true picture of how the teenager died.

After meeting with the medical examiner, Anderson's parents spoke briefly with the crowd.

"All I want is justice for the ones that are responsible," Gina Jones said, holding up two photos of her son. One picture shows the boy a day before he left for boot camp; the other was of him lying in his casket.

This afternoon, Hillsborough State Attorney Mark Ober gave reporters the following printed statement:

Medical Examiner Update
Status of autopsy for Martin L. Anderson
   Dr. Vernard Adams, District 13 medical examiner (Hillsborough County, Fla.) began the examination of Martin Anderson with the opening of the casket at approximately 9:30 a.m. The body was removed from the casket and prepared for the examination. Definitive identification was established by comparison of antemortum and postmortum fingerprints.

   Assisting Dr. Adams in the examination are four additional pathologists. In attendance were Mark Ober, state attorney for Hillsborough County, Mr. Benjamin Crump and Mr. Daryl Parks, representing Martin Anderson's family, Dr. Michael Baden, forensic consultant for the family, members of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and staff members of the agencies.

   The examination has progressed smoothly and is still ongoing. The autopsy will be completed no earlier than 6 p.m. Neither the medical examiner nor the State Attorney's Office will be making any further statements this evening.

[Last modified March 13, 2006, 17:00:01]