Posted on 04/03/2004 9:23:57 AM PST by cyn
CLEARWATER - There is no evidence a crime was committed against Terri Schiavo this week, police said Tuesday, but authorities will continue to investigate a complaint from her husband that someone repeatedly stuck a needle into the brain-damaged woman.
``The medical experts found nothing that gave them any pause,'' Clearwater police spokesman Wayne Shelor said. ``Our position right now is information gathering. We have a complaint, but at this point we have no evidence of a crime.''
Michael Schiavo ``considers it a criminal assault on her person,'' attorney George Felos said of multiple needle marks on Terri Schiavo's arms, reportedly found Monday by a nurse.
The discovery came after Bob and Mary Schindler spent 45 minutes visiting their daughter, Felos said.
Terri Schiavo was hospitalized Monday night while her blood was tested for unauthorized substances, Felos said. The toxicology tests found nothing abnormal, and the 40- year-old woman, in a comalike state since 1990, was returned to her room Tuesday at Park Place of Clearwater, an assisted-living facility.
Michael Schiavo and the Schindlers are locked in a 5 3/4- year dispute over Terri Schiavo's fate. Her husband contends her brain was destroyed when her heart failed in 1990 at age 26. He has convinced a series of judges that, prior to her illness, Terri Schiavo made statements indicating she would not want to be kept alive in such condition.
The Schindlers contend their daughter expressed no such wishes. They say she responds to them during visits and could improve with therapy. The St. Petersburg couple have blocked repeated attempts by their son-in-law to have Terri Schiavo's feeding tube removed so she can die.
Michael Schiavo's complaint to police this week is the latest in a series of cruelties inflicted on the Schindlers, their new criminal defense attorney, George Tragos, said Tuesday.
``It's an excuse for him to cut off the family's access. Once again he has cut off the flow of information,'' said Tragos, a former federal and state prosecutor who volunteered to represent the Schindlers.
Not only wouldn't the Schindlers do anything to hurt their daughter, it would have been virtually impossible for them to draw blood or inject medicine without being caught, he said.
An off-duty police officer guards Terri Schiavo around the clock. ``Her door is open during the entire visit, and medical people are in and out during the entire visit,'' Tragos said.
Felos said Terri Schiavo was found in a disheveled state with her feeding tube wrapped around her back and an allergy alert wristband pulled up her arm ``tight, like a tourniquet.''
What appeared to be a purple needle cap was found in the folds of her hospital gown, Felos said.
Terri Schiavo's physician, Stanton Tripodis, identified what he termed ``needle puncture marks'' on both her arms, a scratch on her abdomen near where the feeding tube is inserted, and a second scratch over the needle marks on her right forearm, Felos said.
Gov. Jeb Bush, who intervened in the case in October and ordered Terri Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted after she went six days without nourishment, on Tuesday asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to keep him abreast of the Clearwater police investigation, spokesman Jacob DiPietre said.
Reporter David Sommer can be reached at (727) 799-7413 / dsommer@tampatrib.com
Write a letter to the editor about this story -- http://tampatrib.com/opinion/lettertotheeditor.htm
prayer bump for Terri
Anyone just coming in on thread, the most important info coming out over weekend was the posts (29, 34, 35) concerning lawyer George Tragos who volunteered for Terri's team -- joining those who have been working so hard for Terri all along. Check out his website.
Later today I'll post info about a box I'm putting together for Terri -- I'll be asking any who are interested in being named on the accompanying card to post in response or to freepmail me. Terri's family has to be devastated over these recent developments; I want to show them support. You can do the same (always!) by sending cards (w/check if you want to) to the address posted on the Terri's fight website.
NOTE: NOTHING has changed since I first posted this thread: No apology from Atty. Felos about his premature attack on the Schindlers, even though he did this quite publicly all-too-soon after the event; Schindlers, priest, friends barred from visiting Terri, and this during this season; Terri is still missing 2(TWO) teeth, has a decubitus ulcer, was inexplicably attacked by someone in the nursing home, is misportrayed to the media and community at large, is under a death sentence, and needs to be removed immediately from the guardianship of Michael Schiavo.
I have requested that any discussion carried over from the prior MB26 thread be left over there, leaving this thread for new ideas, new developments. Can't make you do that, of course -- just asking real nicely.
NO effort has been focused on getting ANY OF US ON TV. I'm not about to go into great lengths on a forum regarding details of Terri's Fight. I mention radio or tv coverage because it's NOT CONFIDENTIAL, PERSONAL OR PRIVATE to someone close to the org. A media big wig such as yourself should know that. You are like the RED TIDE that comes and goes.
Now, please stop calling me a "he".
cyn, this thread will be what it will be. Such is the nature of Terri's Fight. IT'S A FIGHT.
This is a GREAT line of investigation. I've always suspected it was a sham that Terri was being moved because of renovation. That was just too convenient, and the evils that have happened to her since the move, double the suspicion.
Wouldn't there be plans filed with the city on their 'renovations' ?
The only effect of moving Terri was that she's slightly further away from the neighborhood supporters but any sign & waves GET MAXIMUM EXPOSURE at Drew St. and McMullen Booth Road in Clearwater, FL. Contact someone before you plan a trip to JOIN US. We can be rained out or whatever.
The fly in the ointment is when VISITATION IS PULLED for a HOAX by Felos. We're always waiting for the NEXT PLOY. CORRUPTION KILLS. Let's make sure they don't get Terri.
Our Judges are CRIMINALLY LIABLE FOR WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO DATE and I will not argue that point with naysayers. It's a little thing called JUDICIAL TYRANNY.
Mr. Stewart, Public Relations for Pinellas-Pasco County.
"Pinellas-Pasco Court employees and bailiffs are not taking bets on Terri's life."
Mr. Stewart, Public Relations, Pinellas-Pasco County.
Is there any update on Terri? How can Felos (and his peers, the media, the community at large) get away with leveling such an unfounded accusation against the Schindlers? esp. since he had to publicly backtrack, and in a most astounding way: "no, it's not from a needle. Looks more like, uh, scratches -- yeah, that's the ticket, looks more like scratches!"
Your efforts are scaring the opposition and have been effective -- otherwise Michael/Jodi/Felos would not have bothered to send disrupters.
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