The Maricopa County Medical Examiner released its findings on the death of Carol Ann Gotbaum : Asphyxia by hanging. But there’s a catch. It was “accidental”.
The report contains a ton of info about how she was intoxicated. “One expert says that Gotbaum’s blood alcohol level was three times Arizona’s legal limit.” Good thing she wasn’t driving. Plus, she had two types of antidepressants, not to mention ibuprofen, in her system. Plenty of detail about this stuff. Again.
But how does someone “accidentally” hang themselves then they are cuffed, and the cuffs are connected to a chain that is bolted to a bench? You see, the physics don’t work. It’s not like she fell off, say, a chair and the chain accidentally wrapped itself around her throat, causing asphyxiation. After all, she might well have fallen, but it would have been from the bench to the floor. And the chain was bolted to the bench. And the chain was connected to her cuffs. Picture this in your head and try to imagine a way in which she could hang herself.
Given that Carol Ann Gotbaum was so significantly intoxicated, one would wonder why she was left unattended to begin with. But she was, and according to the Phoenix Police, that’s how they do things down there. Maybe not the best method, but it’s their way.
The family, through their Arizona attorney, Michael Manning, has hired a private medical examiner, though the report won’t be available for a while. In the meantime, Phoenix’s Mayor “says the autopsy confirms that Phoenix police did the right thing.”
The right thing? Maybe not the wrong thing, but that’s not the same. If it was the right thing, the “prisoner” would be alive. We started out with questions. We still have questions. But the autopsy report was supposed to answer the big question. I still can’t picture how Carol Ann Gotbaum hung herself “accidentally.”
The report contains a ton of info about how she was intoxicated. “One expert says that Gotbaum’s blood alcohol level was three times Arizona’s legal limit.” Good thing she wasn’t driving. Plus, she had two types of antidepressants, not to mention ibuprofen, in her system. Plenty of detail about this stuff. Again.
But how does someone “accidentally” hang themselves then they are cuffed, and the cuffs are connected to a chain that is bolted to a bench? You see, the physics don’t work. It’s not like she fell off, say, a chair and the chain accidentally wrapped itself around her throat, causing asphyxiation. After all, she might well have fallen, but it would have been from the bench to the floor. And the chain was bolted to the bench. And the chain was connected to her cuffs. Picture this in your head and try to imagine a way in which she could hang herself.
Given that Carol Ann Gotbaum was so significantly intoxicated, one would wonder why she was left unattended to begin with. But she was, and according to the Phoenix Police, that’s how they do things down there. Maybe not the best method, but it’s their way.
The family, through their Arizona attorney, Michael Manning, has hired a private medical examiner, though the report won’t be available for a while. In the meantime, Phoenix’s Mayor “says the autopsy confirms that Phoenix police did the right thing.”
The right thing? Maybe not the wrong thing, but that’s not the same. If it was the right thing, the “prisoner” would be alive. We started out with questions. We still have questions. But the autopsy report was supposed to answer the big question. I still can’t picture how Carol Ann Gotbaum hung herself “accidentally.”
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I can’t believe people are solely blaming the police on this matter. The brunt of the blame should fall on her family. They sent a mentally unstable wife/mother/daughter to a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center across the country by herself? How unbelievablely negligent, stupid and despicable. Should any member of her family have had a shred of decency concerning Carol’s well being they would have made the trip with her, to make sure she arrived safely and took care of herself on the way!
The shame should be on every one of them.
There is much to fault to go around, and Carol Ann Gotbaum may have been drunk, drugged and boisterous in public. But she was dead in custody. The issue isn’t whether to give Carol or her family sainthood, but how she was taken into custody and ended up dead. Drunk people can sober up. Dead people stay that way.