Autopsy of Danny Brumfield

BRUM FIELD, Danny AUTOPSY PROTOCOL Coroner's Office Parish of Orleans Black Male, 5'6", approximately 180 lbs. Date & Time of Autopsy: 9112/05 at 10:45 A.M. EXTERNAL DESCRIPTION KA T-I-000I-05 DMORT 05-00035 THIS DOCUMENT NOT TO BE REPRODUCED The deceased comes in two black body bags recorded as a black male, 5'6", and is approximately 1801bs. No age is given however, the deceased appears to be 30 to 40 years old. OMORT has previously examined the clothing and personal effects. Clothing within the body bag consists of a pair of white tennis shoes, a pair of white socks, a pair of blue pants with a black belt, a white T shirt and a black blanket. Also present within the body bag is a sealed plastic bag containing personal effects, all of whi ch remain with the body. Overall,· the body is ina moderate state of decomposition with extensive abdominal bloating and bloating of the scrotum, penis and eyelids. There is extensive marbling of the right upper extremity and there is extensive skin slippage involving the left chest, Jeft eyelid, right armand left back. Rigor is resolved and no appreciable lividity is present. The head is normocephalica:ndatraumatic with the scalp hair being black and the face sports a thin goatee with the remaining race being unshaved. The irides · are brown with the corneas being markedly cloudy. The ears are normal and the mouth contains natural dentition. Testes are bilaterally descended and the penis is uncircumcised. There is a well healed linear appendectomy scar over the right lower quadrailt ofthe abdomen. No tattoos are present. Evidence of Therapeutic Intervention: None. Evidence of Injury (see 1 page diagram fo r illustration): There is a single shotgun wound to the left back that is 2.5 cm in greatest dimenSion with no scalloping of the edges or satellite entries of the shot pellets indicating the wound to be close range. Closer inspection of the wound does not reveal any visible soot and is most likely near contact. As measured from the entry wound center, it is located 18 cm left of the midline, 7 em below the top of the shoulder and 30 em below the top of the head. The path of the shotgun path is from back-io-front and left-to right with littIeappreciable deviation from top-to-bottom, Inspection of the wound track reveals injury to the left scapula, left posterior ribs 3-5, upper lobe of left lung and thoracic aorta resulting in residual bilateral hemothoraCes, each approximately 500 BRUMFIELD, Danny Page - 2- THIS DOCUMENT NOT TO BE REPRODUCED cc composed of predominantly blood clot as well as some free-flowing blood. The residual bilateral hemothoraces are predominantly due to the multiple penetrating and perforating injuries involving the thoracic aorta. Twelve shot pellets that appear to be bird shot as well as a four pedal gray plastic wadding are recovered, placed in an evidence envelope and sealed with evidence tape. LUNGS: The right lung is 285 grams and the left lung is 238 grams. The pleural surfaces of each specimen are smooth and glistening except for the upper lobe of left lung on its posterolateraJ aspect which is ragged and extensively lacerated secondary to a shotgun blast to the left back. Longitudinal dissection to the tracheobronchial tree reveals darkened sloughing bronchial mucosa. The .pulmonary artery system is without unusual features except for lacerating injuries to tertiary branches of the pulmonary artery supplying the upper lobe of left lung. Cut section through the right lung reveals red-maroon atelectatic parenchyma without areas of pulmonary nodularity. Cut section of the left lung reveals extensive laceration with intraparenchymal hemorrhage involving the upper lobe of left lung, while the lower lobe ofleft lung is red-maroon and devoid of areas of pulmonary nodularity. Also submitted into evidence are plucked pubic and scalp hairs, each submitted in separate evidence envelopes and sealed with evidence tape. INTERNAL EXAMINATION The body and head are opened in the usual autopsy fashion. Body Cavities: Upon opening the thoracic cavities, the Jungsappear moderately atelectatic and there are residual bilateral hemothoraces secondary to a shotgun wound to the left upper back. Upon opening the pericardial sac, it is found to contairi. approximately 20 cc of serosanguineous fluid without adhesions. Upon opening the abdominal cavity, all abdominal organs appear in their normal anatomic locations without excess fluid, blood or exUdate however, there is gaseous distension of both the large and small bowel with greenish discoloration of the serosal surfaces secondary to postmortem decomposition. BRUMFIELD, Danny Page - 3 - THIS DOCUMENT NOT TO BE REPRODUCED ORGAN DESCRIPTIONS HEART: The heart is 219 grams. Its external surface is smooth, transparent and glistening. Transverse and longitudinal dissection of the coronary artery system reveals a normal distribution that is right dominant with all three major coronary arteries being Visibly free of coronary atherosclerotic plaques. On opening the heart the myocardium is of normal thickness in all areas with the valve surfaces being smooth, opaque, glistening and discolored a dark maroon secondary to postmortem decomposition of blood. The parenchyma is slightly softened in consistency secondary to postmortem decomposition. All chambers are of nonnal configuration. LUNGS: See "E'Yidence of Injury". KIDNEYS: The right kidney is 104 grams and the left kidney is 101 grams. Their capsules are stripped with ease bilaterally revealing smooth and glistening underlying cortical surfaces. On cut section, the cortices and medullary areas are of normal thickness and configuration. Their parenchyma are a deep maroon and softened in consistency secondary to postmortem decomposition. The pelves and ureters show no evidence of dilatation or other abnormality. LIVER; The liver is 803 grams. Its anterior margin is sharp and its capsule somewhat dull and transparent. The parenchyma is a soft, uniform, homogeneous maroon-brown with early "Swiss cheese" type changes secondary to postmortem decomposition. The gallbladder is present and contains approximately 5 cc of dark green bile. SPLEEN: The spleen js E9 grams. Its capsule is gray-white and somewhat dull. On cut section, the parenchyma is a softenecl unifonn, homogeneous red-brown with a moderate degree of difficulty discerning betweenred and white pulp. . GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM: The eSophagus is empty and shows a normal-appearing mucosal surface and wan thickness with scattered areas of early mucosal slOtmhinK Upon opening the stomach, it is found to be devoid of partially digested food stutrWith mucosal sloughing, slight thinning orthe wall and marbling ofbotb the anterior and posterior walls . Examination of the small and large intestine are without unusual featureS:~cept for gaseous distension .and greeriish discoloration of the sero~l surfaces secondary topOStriloiiem decompo~tion . Examination of the colon reveals it to contain green~brown pasty fecal material. The appendix is remotely absent. PANCREAS: The pancreas lies in its normal retroperitoneal location an<4 on cut section, shows a yellowish-white, homogeneous, slightly softened parenchyma. BRVl\rIF IELD, Danny Page - 4- THIS DOCUMENT NOT TO BE REPRODUCED ADRENALS: Each adrenal is approximately 3.5 grams. They show normal external surfaces and cut surfaces reveal extensive medullary autolysis. GENITOURINARY: The bladder contains approximately 80 cc of urine, some of which is retained for toxicologic evaluation. The bladder wall appears normal. The prostate is uniform and regular to palpation. . HEAD AND BRAIN: The scalp flap is reflected in the usual manner showing no evidence of cutaneous or subcutaneous trauma. The external bony calvarium appears intact and normal. On opening the skuI1, the dura, arachnoid, subdural and subarachnoid spaces all appear to be normal. Spinal fluid appears normal. The brain appears normal in situ. On removal. of the brain, it is 1065 grams. The pattern of gyri and sulci appears nonnaL Vessels at the base of the brain appear grossly normal. Multiple coronal sections through brain and brain stem show no gross abnormalities; however, the parenchyma is moderately softened secondary to postmortem decomposition. On stripping the dura from the base of the skull and the overlying bony calvarium, there is no evidence of skull fracture or other abnormality. MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM: Other than the bony injuries cited under uEvidence of Injury''; the remaining skeletal system is grossly intact; The examined muscles have normal color and are slightly softened in consistency secondary to postmortem decomposition. RETAINED SPECIMENS include representative sections of each.organpreserved in 10% buffered fonnalin solution as well as blood from the right pleural space being preserved in a red top, purple top and gray top tubes. Also retained are red top tubes containing both urine and bile. PROVISIONAL ANATOMIC.u. DIAGNOSES: 1. 2. 3. One (1) shotgun wound to the posterior left shoulder a. 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