Body of local doctor found in chimney flue

bakersfield ^

[traumer]

The badly decomposed body of a woman found in a chimney flue has been identified as a local doctor, authorities said Monday.

Dr. Jacquelyn Kotarac had been missing since last week, a day after she went to the house of a man whom she had been dating, Bakersfield police Sgt. Mary DeGeare said. Kotarac went to the man’s house in the 4300 block of La Mirada Drive Wednesday evening and was reported missing by her office staff Thursday morning, DeGeare said.

DeGeare said she wasn’t sure what the status of the relationship was — whether they had been broken up or not — when Kotarac went to the house. The man, however, didn’t want to see her and left the home unnoticed to avoid a confrontation as she tried to force her way inside. DeGeare did not release the man’s name, but the resident of that house is listed as William Moodie and neighbors confirmed that was the name of the man living there.

On Saturday, a woman at the house noticed a bad odor, DeGeare said. The woman, who was checking on the fish tank, investigated and saw fluids in the fireplace. She got a flashlight and looked up the flue and realized there was a body stuck there, DeGeare said.

Bakersfield firefighters spent five hours dismantling the chimney and flue from the outside of the home from Saturday to early Sunday to get to the body, DeGeare said. Detectives initially investigated the death as suspicious, but police said Monday that all the evidence indicates Kotarac voluntarily went to the roof, removed the chimney cap and slid down the flue feet first.

[Flag_This]

"The local reports say she was asphyxiated which means her chest was compressed when she went down."

That's bad, but not as bad as slowly baking over a few days while trapped in a chimney.

[dragnet2]

That's bad, but not as bad as slowly baking over a few days while trapped in a chimney.

Hey, the boyfriend could have lit a fire before she expired.

[A_perfect_lady]

Yeah, I saw the stuff about taxes and liens and her house... like I said earlier, heartache is bad, but money trouble is worse!

[Flag_This]

"Hey, the boyfriend could have lit a fire before she expired."

However she died, it had to have been over before the boyfriend came home. I refuse to believe he would not have noticed the sounds of somebody trapped in his freakin' chimney.

[DaxtonBrown]

“DeGeare said she wasn’t sure what the status of the relationship was “

I’d guess it had gone up in smoke. They were old flames. Time flew, then she flue. She smoked like a chimney anyway.

[chris_bdba]

Please someone tell me how a doctor would not know that one can not go down a chimney? Too many adults must believe the Santa myth?

[Krankor]

I don’t know this woman but, for some reason, this story just strikes me as incredibly sad. What a horrible way to end a life that at one time showed such promise.

[dragnet2]

Please someone tell me how a doctor would not know that one can not go down a chimney?

To be honest, half the doctors out there are big time drug users and alcoholics....Nurses too, unfortunately. ....

[PetroniusMaximus]

The deceased.

[GOPJ]

I’ll bet she’s a liberal...

[Clay Moore]

Wow, 2010 hide and seek champion!

Seriously we rescued a girl (~17) out of a chimney some years ago. She locked herself out of the house and figured if Santa can get down a chimney with all those extra pounds, she should have no trouble.

There is a step type thing right above the fire place that prevented her from getting to the bottom. She had her arms above her head for some period of time and surprisingly had enough strength to get the rope around her body.

I chuckle every time we drive by the house.

[pissant]

Darwin nominee.

[China Clipper]

Wow! This is really bizarre! I used to work with this MD at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital. She was smoking hot, very nice legs, and very friendly, all in a good way of course. She was always well-liked by her hospital patients, and she had a way of brightening up the area when she was in house.

She was a little different, in a way, for instance, I remember her as a brunette, but that was more than 13 years ago...who hasn't changed their hair color once or twice, right?

Sounds like she just gave up, and told the world goodbye. I agree with the previous post; she probably got stuck in the chimney, her chest couldn't expand, and she asphyxiated.

A real pity.. RIP Jackie!

[ApplegateRanch]

Apparantly they do not teach details of fireplace construction in med school.

That damper oepening, whether a damper is present or not, is a slot about 4"-5" X 30"-36" long. Modern (post 1700s) Rumford type fireplaces, as illustrated above, are not Santa-friendly. Don't even think about climbing down one; these are not Dickensonian fireplaces.

[ApplegateRanch]

Wouldn't necessarily be decomposition products causing the smell and ‘fluids’ dripping into the fireplace.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Another thread said she became wedge in until her chest was compressed and she couldn’t breathe.

Not remotely unheard of. You hear about this a couple of times a year, at least. I blame Santa Claus for making it look easy.

[Walts Ice Pick]

This incident should be investigated. Was she alive when she (or her body) entered the chimney?

[Slings and Arrows]

Bad idea.

[paulycy]

I’ve always felt very strongly that the government needs to put warning labels on chimney flues for this very reason.

But did anybody listen? No.

Now look what happened.

[TheOldLady]

It’s impossible to scream when you fall into the narrow part of the flue and your lungs are compressed.