Autopsy

Many people question why  autopsies have been ordered on their loved ones. For a lot of folks, the idea of an autopsy being performed on a beloved member of their family, especially children, is inconceivable. Autopsies are performed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it is required by law in specific circumstances. An autopsy is the examination of the human body to determine, when possible, the exact cause of death. This can only be accomplished by dissection or opening of the body to reveal the tissue, organs and vascular system for examination.

LANCASTER - A preliminary autopsy showed no signs of trauma to the body of the 47-year-old woman who was found dead on her porch on Tuesday, officials said. It could take at least two full weeks for state medical examiners to determine how Angela “Ann” Salata died, Garrard County Coroner Daryl Hodge said this morning. Salata had been dead for two or three days when on Tuesday afternoon her sister discovered her body on the porch of her home at 118 Ridgecrest Drive, Hodge said.

STANFORD - Officials have determined causes of death for two people killed in Lincoln County in unrelated incidents over the weekend. Lincoln County Coroner Bill Demrow said Clara Shearer-Gray, 24, of Kings Mountain died of blunt force trauma after being hit by a vehicle as she lay in the northbound lane of Ky. 1247 about 4 a.m. Sunday. Demrow said Shearer was near the home she shared with her mother when she was hit. Authorities are still uncertain why Shearer was lying in the road.

LANCASTER - A 45-year-old Garrard County man was found unresponsive in the morning hours Sunday. The official cause of his death is still pending. Ray E. Puckett of 2067 Polly's Bend Road was found deceased in his bed after Kentucky State Police received a call to respond to his residence just before 8 a.m. An autopsy will be performed today in Frankfort. Police say no foul play is suspected.

LANCASTER - The Garrard County man found dead outside of Burger House in April died of an accidental drug overdose, according to the autopsy report. Curtis W. Davis, 34, was found dead in his truck in the restaurant's parking lot on April 26. Some had speculated he died from choking on a hamburger, as he suffered from a swelling and inflammation of the esophagus known as esophagitis. But he died of an “acute and chronic” intoxication of drugs, including methamphetamine, amphetamine and the painkiller oxymorphone, according to the autopsy.

LANCASTER - The Garrard County coroner said Timothy Adams, a 45-year-old farm worker who was found dead Monday evening, died from massive chest trauma. Adams, of Perkins Lane, was pronounced dead Monday evening at the scene on Crab Orchard Road by Coroner Daryl Hodge after being found by the farm owner, David Feldman. Hodge said he and other authorities worked to reconstruct the scene for about two hours Tuesday. "He died from the impact of the accident," Hodge said, explaining that Adams apparently lost control of the Bush Hog while mowing a hillside.

An autopsy is complete on the Parksville man shot last week by a state trooper as police attempted to serve a warrant. Boyle County Coroner Dr. James Ramey said a preliminary report indicated Roger King, 61, died of a single gunshot wound to the face. According a state police press release, Trooper Eric Taylor and five Boyle County deputy sheriffs surrounded King's home at 8115 Forkland Road about 9:40 p.m. Nov. 25 to serve an arrest warrant and emergency protective order.

LIBERTY - A preliminary autopsy report did not show a cause of death for a Casey County inmate who died Saturday. However, Kenneth Rothwell, 56, of 502 Russell St., Danville, appears to have died from natural causes, said state police Detective Sgt. Bobby Sullivan. Rothwell had been living in a cell at the Casey County Detention Center with nine other inmates for some time. Sullivan said Rothwell had been at the jail more than 1,000 days and had probably been there longer than any other inmate.

LIBERTY - The Monday death of Dwight Hudson, 45, of Dunnville, is under investigation by local authorities. Hudson was pronounced death by Coroner Tommy Clark at Casey County Hospital. Clark said an autopsy was scheduled today to determine the cause death. Funeral arrangements for Hudson are incomplete at Bartle Funeral Home.

Whenever there is a suspected death, EMS and law enforcement are first notified by central dispatch, which is the communication center for the county. When a death is confirmed by EMS, central dispatch is again contacted and asked to notify the coroner that a code 500 has occurred. Once notified by dispatch, the coroner or deputy initiates a coroner's investigation form, noting the time the call was received and preliminary information regarding the circumstances. Since in most cases the body of the deceased cannot be moved or repositioned until the coroner arrives, it is imperative to arrive at the scene as quickly as possible.

CRAB ORCHARD - A Garrard County man whose body was discovered in his home died after falling down the stairs, an autopsy revealed. Garrard County Coroner Daryl Hodge said Saturday that Ormand VanWinkle, 64, who lived alone on Drakes Creek, suffered blunt force trauma to the head when he toppled down the stairs of his home. VanWinkle was able to get up after the fall and go back upstairs to lay down in his bed, but died as a result of bleeding on his brain, Hodge said. VanWinkle was last heard from on Tuesday and his body was discovered Thursday evening after family members became concerned.

LANCASTER - A preliminary autopsy showed no signs of trauma to the body of the 47-year-old woman who was found dead on her porch on Tuesday, officials said. It could take at least two full weeks for state medical examiners to determine how Angela “Ann” Salata died, Garrard County Coroner Daryl Hodge said this morning. Salata had been dead for two or three days when on Tuesday afternoon her sister discovered her body on the porch of her home at 118 Ridgecrest Drive, Hodge said.

LANCASTER - The Garrard County man found dead outside of Burger House in April died of an accidental drug overdose, according to the autopsy report. Curtis W. Davis, 34, was found dead in his truck in the restaurant's parking lot on April 26. Some had speculated he died from choking on a hamburger, as he suffered from a swelling and inflammation of the esophagus known as esophagitis. But he died of an “acute and chronic” intoxication of drugs, including methamphetamine, amphetamine and the painkiller oxymorphone, according to the autopsy.

CRAB ORCHARD - A Crab Orchard man was found dead Sunday at his home on Lancaster Street. The body of Nicky Shelton, 35, was discovered after his father, Tea Shelton, was unable to reach him by phone and went to the residence. Lincoln County Sheriff's Department responded but is not treating the death as suspicious. Coroner Farris Marcum pronounced Shelton dead at 8:30 p.m. He said no autopsy will be performed, but he did order a toxicology report along with medical records to determine the cause of death.

Michael Dean Begley Jr. was released from the Fayette County jail just four days before he was found dead alongside Taylor Road in eastern Boyle County. Begley's body was discovered Friday morning. Boyle County deputies responded to a report of a body discovered by a driver just off Taylor Road at 7:20 a.m. Dressed in blue jeans and a red hooded sweatshirt, Begley was not carrying any identification and no one who gathered at the scene recognized him, police said. The body was first taken to the morgue at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center.

The body of a man found Friday morning along a roadside in eastern Boyle County was that of a Richmond man, Kentucky State Police said. Trooper Paul Blanton said authorities used fingerprints to identify Michael Dean Begley, Jr., 27, on Saturday afternoon and notified his mother, who also lives in Richmond, shortly afterward.  An preliminary autopsy conducted earlier Saturday determined Begley died from injuries he received during a...

Whenever there is a suspected death, EMS and law enforcement are first notified by central dispatch, which is the communication center for the county. When a death is confirmed by EMS, central dispatch is again contacted and asked to notify the coroner that a code 500 has occurred. Once notified by dispatch, the coroner or deputy initiates a coroner's investigation form, noting the time the call was received and preliminary information regarding the circumstances. Since in most cases the body of the deceased cannot be moved or repositioned until the coroner arrives, it is imperative to arrive at the scene as quickly as possible.

Many people question why  autopsies have been ordered on their loved ones. For a lot of folks, the idea of an autopsy being performed on a beloved member of their family, especially children, is inconceivable. Autopsies are performed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it is required by law in specific circumstances. An autopsy is the examination of the human body to determine, when possible, the exact cause of death. This can only be accomplished by dissection or opening of the body to reveal the tissue, organs and vascular system for examination.

The three people charged in the death of a 10-month-old girl in October were silent during their first court appearance Wednesday. The child’s grandmother, 51-year-old Cheryl Kirkwood-Black, and the stepgrandfather, 42-year-old David Black, were arrested Tuesday night for murder after an autopsy determined that Addysen Brooks Mayes died from toxic exposure to methadone. The mother, 21-year-old Brooks Ecton, was charged with first-degree wanton endangerment for leaving the child in the Blacks’ care on the night of Oct. 11. Police believe she knew the Blacks were active drug users and placed the child in danger.