The Village Voice: Runnin' Scared

Phoenix M.E. Rules Gotbaum's Death an Accident

posted: 3:11 PM, November 9, 2007 by Michael Clancy

The Maricopa County Medical Examiner has ruled the death of Carol Gotbaum an accident. No word yet on what the forensic pathologist hired by the Gotbaum family has concluded.

Phoenix New Times's Stephen Lemon reports:

The results are in on the autopsy of Carol Anne Gotbaum, the 45-year-old mother of three who died September 28 in police custody at Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport. In the opinion of Maricopa County Medical Examiner Ann L. Bucholtz, Gotbaum expired "as a result of asphyxia by hanging." She adds that "contributing factors were acute ethanol and prescription medication intoxication." Bucholtz lists the manner of death as an accident.
Bucholtz does not explain how exactly Gotbaum was able to "hang" herself. However, in her visit to the holding cell at Sky Harbor where Gotbaum was found dead shortly after being arrested for disorderly conduct, Bucholtz notes that the officer who discovered Gotbaum slumped over, "described her facing the wall, her hands together in the front near the left side of her neck." She goes on to say that, "He does not recall seeing the position of the leg iron chain, however her hair was loose about her shoulders and it would have been easy for it not to have been observed."

categories: Follow-up

Comments

Even after the autopsy, Gotbaum's family and atty have the nerve to blame everyone else.....with only if someone had helped her......If someone in her family went with her on the plane...she would still be alive....

Posted by: JulieDan at November 9, 2007 7:04 PM

Once again the real killer is left free to slink into the background while the survivors point fingers at each other. The culprit is an old hand at death and destruction and is the blame for countless crimes and tragedies. Almost always escaping prosecution, this same culprit has committed countless crimes, ruined families and marriages, and bankrupted an untold number of businesses. Carol A. Gotbaum was killed by her addiction.

The medical examiner should have issued the ruling in reverse order, with asphyxiation being a contributing factor in a death caused by chronic disease.

Her story is very representative of the disease that kills the host and destroys the lives of all those that surround the host. The husband will suffer, the children will be without a mother, and the police will be sued and agonize over their decisions. All will feel guilty and true to human nature, they will all blame someone else. Mrs. Gotbaum's death was no accident, but we seem to have sympathy for the real killer either unable or unwilling to tackle the pervasive hold alcohol and drugs have on our culture.

Posted by: The Discovering Alcoholic at November 10, 2007 7:11 AM

Alot of people have been dieing in custody in Arizona jails. There was also a case where a quadrapalegic was restrained because he was "resisting", and he died of "accidental asphyxiation". How many "accidents" does it take for people to see that these are not really "accidents".

Posted by: anon at November 10, 2007 11:12 AM

Her blood alcohol level of 0.28 - check out the autopsy report. She was trashed, man.

Posted by: La Shonda at November 10, 2007 1:32 PM

That's six deaths this year in the Pheonix PD's custody....the last death happened on Thursday (a 41 year old male, who was trussed up while in custody).

There are VERY serious questions that have to be asked about the Phoenix PD and it's procedures.

PS - The Discovering Alcoholic, excellent post....thought provoking.

Posted by: strawberries at November 10, 2007 8:42 PM

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