BROWARD COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER
5301 SW 31st AVENUE
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33312
SCENE INVESTIGATION
NAME: Vickie Lynn Marshall BME NO: 07-0223
Time arrived at scene: 1840
Location: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida
Police Agency: Detective Kathy Frank, Detective Marian Bryant (Seminole Police Department)
Also present at scene: Sergeant Mike Jacobs; Joseph Anderson, photographer for Broward County Medical Examiner Office; Dr. Predrag Bulic, Assistant Medical Examiner; Crime Scene Investigator Rich Engels of the Broward Sheriff’s Office and Dr. Gertrude M. Juste, Associate Medical Examiner
Initial Information
Obtained from the Seminole Detective Marian Bryant.
The decedent was staying in suites 607 and 609 with her significant other, Howard Stern and a friend after arriving from the Bahamas on Monday. The decedent and Mr. Stern slept in room 607 and the friend (Maurice Brighthaupt, friend and bodyguard) slept in room 609. There is a living or reception room with a chair, sofa, table and entertainment center. On the day of her
demise, the decedent, who had been sick with flu-like symptoms since arriving in Florida, was helped to bed around 9:00 a.m. by Mr. Stern. At about 11:00 a.m. or 11:15 a.m., Mr. Stern spoke with the decedent and informed her that he was picking up guests from the airport. At around 12:00 p.m., approximately, the guests arrived at the suite and did not awaken Miss Smith, assuming she was still sleeping. Detective Marian Bryant informed me that the party picked up from the airport consisted of a
Bahamian official “King Eric”, his wife and a crewmember of a boat recently purchased by Miss Smith. They were in Florida to take the vessel and sail back to the Bahamas on Thursday.
At around noon, Mr. Stern and the male guests left for Miami to check on the boat. Concurrently, Mr. Brighthaupt left to help his brother move furniture. Miss Smith was left with King Eric’s common-law wife Brigitte Nelsen and Tasma Brighthaupt, Maurice’s wife, presumably sleeping. Around 12:30 p.m., the bodyguard’s wife checked on the decedent and observed her to be blue. She immediately called her husband, Maurice Brighthaupt, and informed him of the situation. She also started CPR in her capacity as a registered nurse. As soon as Maurice returned to the hotel; he immediately called the Seminole Emergency Medical
Personnel around 1:40 p.m. The first patrol unit arrived at the scene at 1:43 p.m. and Rescue 108 Seminole Paramedics arrived at 1:46 p.m. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation continued en route to Memorial Regional Hospital Emergency Room where they arrived at 1423 hours.
Vickie Lynn Marshall 07-0223
Description of Scene:
The scene consisted of a three-room suite. Room 607 was occupied by the decedent and Mr. Stern, her significant other. Room 609 was the guest room. Between the two rooms was a sitting or reception room, which had a sofa, two large chairs, a round table with chairs, and an entertainment center with a television set.
Entrance was made through the middle room or sitting room. Room 607 was to the left of the reception area. It had a king-sized bed with a canopy, two night tables, and an armoire. To the left of the bed was a low table, resting under a large glass window. The bedroom opened on the
left to a large bathroom with a tub, two sinks, a large mirror a separate shower and separate toilet room. Several white towels were strewn around on the bathroom floor and around the sinks. One of the sinks had what appeared to be caked yellow/brown residue of emesis.
The bed is covered with a white sheet, with a large yellow/brown stain with a peripheral residue. To the right of that stain, there appears to be bloody fluid. A cover sheet and another white sheet are balled up on the bed, and there are several scattered pillows.
The night table has various items, including cold medicine; an opened and non-opened cans of
sodas; SlimFast; empty packs of gum and Nicorette; and an open box of Tamiflu tablets. The table on the right of the bed also contains a partly covered transparent glass jar containing a brownish liquid. There is a closet full of men and women’s clothes with multiple pairs of shoes
littering the floor located to the left of the bedroom entrance. There was a pearl necklace on the foot of the bed and a Louis Vuiton purse on the chair by the window. Opposite the foot of the bed was an armoire-type of furniture against the wall with several drawers at the bottom, and a television set in the top portion. Some of the drawers were open and contained various articles
of clothing.
The guest bedroom has three beds, which were well made and covered with white sheets, and covers. A night table separates the two beds. Opposite the foot of the bed was a small table with various items including numerous medication bottles, prescribed under different names. There
was also a piece of furniture containing a small refrigerator and a large-size TV. The medicine
bottles in the entire suite were photographed. A list of all the medications was taken including the date prescribed, amount prescribed, and the amount left in each bottle. The scene was left at
2130 hours.
Note: The foregoing is of a preliminary nature and subject to modification pending additional
information and investigation.
___________________________
Gertrude M. Juste, M.D.
Associate Medical Examiner
What kind of nurse, in the room with a person, doesn't notice vomit and blood on the sheets?