Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano said his investigation is also not finished. "The autopsy has been done, but we are waiting for toxicology and organ testing before the investigation is complete," Solano said. But he added that, "based on the evidence so far, there has been no indication of foul play."According to the Sheriff's Department report:
Hill found his wife "face down in the barrel in the fetal position, her feet not clearing the top of the barrel." After calling 911, "he attempted to get Deborah out of the barrel. He said he tipped the barrel over on its side and tried to pull Deborah out by her feet. Due to the small diameter of the hole (15 to 18 inches) in the top of the barrel, he was unsuccessful.Solano said his e-mail inbox has been flooded by correspondence from people across the nation who disagree with his department's assessment that Hill's death was an accident. "Mostly from amateur CSI experts and medical doctors," Solano said. "For the most part, people don't believe our conclusions.
"There was this medical analyst from Mississippi who sent a list of questions she wanted answered," he said. Solano said that the evidence in the case so far is "irrefutable" and that most of the theories expressed by those who have contacted his office are without merit.
"There's been some allegations of foul play, and we've looked into them," Solano said. "But nothing has panned out."
Solano said his department would look into any new evidence that comes forward, but he stands by the conclusion that Posen Hill's death was a "tragic accident. Her hips went in and it made it harder for her to lift herself out," he said. "She had no leverage to pull herself up.
The entire story can be found here:
Family Recalls Bizarre Tragedy
A picture of the barrel is on the front page of today's journal. But is very small.
I did a google search and found one that is the same size (60 gallons) and color: