DR. JOSHUA PERPER, BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA, CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER: We competed our examination. We completed our autopsy.
And, at this time, the -- the medical examiner's office is prepared to release the body to the proper custodian of records. We received information that perhaps we will get a court request to delay the release of the body, and we didn't receive it. Obviously, we are going to honor any legitimate court request. KING: Yes.
What, if anything, was significant about this autopsy?
PERPER: Well, I think that the most significant thing about this autopsy was that it was an unexpected, sudden, and unexplained death in a young individual, in a young woman, who was 39 years old, and had, ultimately, some kind of minor stomach flu.
So, under those circumstances, and under the Florida law, such cases are under the -- such cases are under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner. And that's what they did in this case.
KING: Was there anything in the stomach that might lead you to cause of death?
PERPER: Well, what the autopsy was very significant is that we were able to exclude physical trauma, such as gunshot wound or stab wounds or blunt-force trauma. We were able to exclude choking on her own vomit (INAUDIBLE)
And the findings were basically very minor findings in the heart and in some of the intestines, which would have to be verified microscopically. In the stomach, we found only a very small amount of blood, which -- we believe that the bleeding occurred very shortly before she died, and, therefore, is not really significant. It just reflects terminal shock.
KING: Any evidence that she was suffering from any kind of illness?
PERPER: Well, she had a somewhat enlarged liver, but there was no evidence, grossly, of any significant natural disease.
Her heart was quite healthy, except for some, as I said, minor findings, which will have to be examined microscopically. However, we well know that, sometimes, the naked-eye examination may be misleading, and further testing -- and we did a lot of very extensive testing, and we will do more, including microscopic examination -- might reveal evidence of natural disease.
So, basically, there are three -- three possibilities, or three options of diagnosis in this case. Either the death was due solely to natural causes -- and, in fact, she was sick for three days, so this is a reasonable assumption -- or it was due to some kind of medication or drugs, or to a combination of natural disease or medication.
And, in this time, we really cannot make up this determination, because we lack the results of the test. Eventually, we will be able to choose the proper one.
KING: And, finally, have you ruled out foul play?
PERPER: Well, as I said, we were able to rule out foul play as a result of physical violence.
KING: Right, but -- but by poisoning?
PERPER: We did not yet -- we did not -- yes -- we did not rule out yet foul play in terms of chemical violence...
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interesting