The terminology used in Terri's autopsy report is anoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. It is very similar to, but more severe than, the hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy discussed in syriacus's post. Hypoxia = serious loss of oxygen. Anoxia = total loss of oxygen. Worse!
Just for the record, since Terri did not have a heart attack, we cannot attribute this oxygen deprivation in her brain to her "cardiac arrest." It is the other way around. It was the loss of oxygen to her brain that caused her to go into cardiac arrest.
Also for the record -- cc: Columbo -- Terri's blood tests showed lactic acidosis. This is a condition brought on by violent exertion in the absence of oxygen. The obvious explanation is that she was fighting desperately for life and breath while being asphyxiated -- probably by some sort of choke hold that cut the arterial blood flow in her carotids. That would be consistent with the brain damage. Nobody can say for sure that this is what happened, but I don't know of any hypothesis that fits the facts nearly as well as this one does.
Why a homicide file opened back in 1990?
Everett Rice and Judge Greer go to baseball games together. Isn't that special? They talked about Terri at a Devil Rays game. Wasn't that another violation of Greer's judicial canons? Of course it was. It was even part of the court file but in this county, WHO CARES?