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AUTOPSY AND INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS ON THE DEATH OF CHIEF NEGOTIATOR
08/23/02 | Harris County Medical Examiner's Office, Houston Fire Department Fire/Arson Investigations

Posted on 08/25/2002 5:31:16 PM PDT by COB1

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To: All
Bedtime for this cowboy!
See y'all in the morning (or later in the morning)!
801 posted on 08/29/2002 11:00:06 PM PDT by COB1
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To: COB1
Thank you, kind sir ! B-L-U-S-H

You now have an answer, in your's. LOL

802 posted on 08/29/2002 11:02:29 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: nopardons
My point was, if there's anything of value in this thread beyond the original post, it's difficult to see amongst all the fighting. The melodrama is counterproductive. If that sounds insulting and baiting, I'm sorry.
803 posted on 08/29/2002 11:43:56 PM PDT by Sandy
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To: Sandy
There appears to be a faction, who has positioned itself against COB1; for whatever reason, and is attempting to 1) make him look like a fool, or worse. 2) this same faction, has NOTHING of value to add to these threads. 3) this faction maligns good, honest folk and interjects itself into something it has NO business interferring in. 4) someone, here, is attempting to shield the guilty and / or make him/her self look " important ".

No, the fighting is most certainly NOT productive ; tell those who started it all ... NOT the person responsible for actually working with the police to get Herb's murder solved !

yes, it rather did sound like baiting. Thanks for your appology. :-)

804 posted on 08/29/2002 11:51:17 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: nopardons
If you have no hard facts, read this and other related threads, but keep still.

I don't have fingerprints or DNA, if that is what you mean.

All I have is what Mrs. Chief and her sister posted at FR. I thought revueing their statements and statements from their friends would help.

I certainly did not know doing so violated FR posting rules.

Calling COB1 names, insulting him,baiting,

I don't beleive I have insulted, or baited anyone, ever. Plus I respect Cob and like him. It wouldn't occure to me to insult him.

If you have no hard facts, read this and other related threads, but keep still.

I have read ALL related threads. And have saved them all.First to wordpad and then to webpage after someone on PalTalk told me how. I have been reviewing ALL of them, over and over, since before all of them were pulled. I saved the newspaper articles, too.

I thought it would be helpful to post some of the statements. I certainly never expected anyone to be mad at me for doing so.

I have NEVER before had any of my posts deleted. It is emarrassing.

805 posted on 08/30/2002 7:26:48 AM PDT by carenot
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To: COB1; My back yard
First, let me say, Mybackyard, that you have quite a remarkable memory. And yes, I brought up deflected hot water, as a possibility - early in the old threads - because irregular patches of reddened skin had been reported on the Chief and various sources for possible steam burns were being discussed at the time.

Cob, as I told you in my Freepmail, a few days ago, I would be happy to help you, if and whereever I can.

"Are the injuries/burns consistent with injuries found on someone who has died in a fire of this magnitude?"

I haven't seen a ME report. Is there one available (and I've somehow missed it)? I have read many such reports, over the years, and if complete, it should detail everything, down to the brand and color of underwear Chief had on. It should detail the exact location and depth of any char or burns and most certainly the amount of soot found in his lungs and CO that accumulated in his bloodstream.

806 posted on 08/30/2002 2:24:04 PM PDT by theirjustdue
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To: theirjustdue
I haven't seen a ME report. Is there one available (and I've somehow missed it)?

Did you see the ME report that Cob posted a link to? It seems far from complete, but it is what they sent.

807 posted on 08/30/2002 3:24:13 PM PDT by carenot
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To: theirjustdue
TJD, I've been covered in freeps, and I apologize that I didn't respond to yours directly.
Your kind of knowledge is the reason I posted the ME report: Link on Post #363.
Please tell us what you think, please.
We know it's a poor excuse for a report, but it's all we have.
808 posted on 08/30/2002 3:44:32 PM PDT by COB1
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To: HoustonCurmudgeon; Humidston; Dog Gone; humblegunner; All
We have formed a core group of Houston freepers to gather information if this case is no longer under investigation.
This group consists of HoustonCurmudgeon, Dog Gone, Humidston, Humblegunner, and myself.
HoustonCurmudgeon is gathering some important info for us through his contacts, but the holidays are going to delay the report on that information.
These freepers will always know what I know, and vice-versa.

We are still awaiting word on the status of this case, and, again, the holidays are going to delay that report.

809 posted on 08/30/2002 4:00:57 PM PDT by COB1
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To: carenot
"Did you see the ME report that Cob posted a link to? It seems far from complete, but it is what they sent."

Thanks carenot. I had run a quick check and had completely missed it. Yes I agree with you that it does seem a bit limited, especially for a report prepared at a time when it was considered by HFD, as a likely arson/homicide.

810 posted on 08/30/2002 4:40:11 PM PDT by theirjustdue
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To: COB1
I think we've got a pretty good gameplan. A lot of people here at this forum, and others who may never have posted here, have put an awful lot of time, energy, and thought into the case.

It's a testimony to Chief that he had friends, especially like you, who have never rested in their efforts to uncover the truth. Chief may be gone, but he certainly has not been forgotten.

811 posted on 08/30/2002 4:45:58 PM PDT by Dog Gone
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To: COB1
Thanks for directing me to the report, COB. I just plain missed it during my initial quick search of the thread.

I am surprised at the brevity of the report, in general. Particularly, in a case that HFD considered a likely arson/homicide, at the time. Describing the amount of soot present, as simply "abundant", for example, does little to quantify what the examiner actually saw. I am assuming he took photos though, for their files. It is apparent, to me, however, based on the percentage of CO present, that smoke inhalation, was likely the "ultimate" cause of Herbs death.

For the most part, I don't think the autopsy report, is going to tell us much more than we already knew. I certainly don't think it will help much, in determining how Herb got into that situation, in the first place.

Just reading the autopsy report, I would have to say it does appear to be consistent with being trapped in the hostile environment of a house fire. But, as we know, that is only a small part of this story.

The abrupt dropping of the preliminary reports of an accelerant, is particularly troubling and the apparent classifying of Herbs death as accidental, without determining the cause, is downright disturbing to me.

One thing I would suggest you look for, if you ever get a peek into the bathroom area, where Herb was found, is any sign that he could have been feeling his way around the walls, trying to find his way out.

My guess is, the bathroom was likely smoked up pretty bad, but may not have received that much actual structural damage. A person with smoke inhalation quickly becomes disoriented and confused. I have experienced the effects of it myself and I can tell you, you don't think clearly at all. Herb likely had no idea where he was, or where the door to safety was. If a layer of soot was initially deposited on the walls and Herb later tried to escape, there may be hand finger marks, where he ran his hands along the sooted walls, or near the floor and baseboards. This (if it exists) would be under an outer layer of soot, that would have, later, been deposited over it. A careful examination may still reveal such patterns though. At any rate, it's worth looking for and may give an indication of Herbs travels during his last few minutes. It's difficult, but at this point, with so little in hard evidence, it seems recreating the scenario, piece by piece, like this, is what it may take.

It sounds like you've assembled a great group to conduct this investigation, Cob. Distance prevents me from taking a more direct roll in helping you, but please let me know if I can help out in any other way.

Semper Fi, brother!

812 posted on 08/30/2002 5:54:26 PM PDT by theirjustdue
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To: theirjustdue
TJD, that analytical examination of the report is what we've been lacking.
That is the first coroner's report I've ever seen, and I'm sure that is the case for most of us.
We didn't know what we were looking at, but we knew it was pretty scant for an investigation of this nature.

I was hoping to know before the end of the day whether or not this investigation is closed to determine if going into the house was possible, but the holidays have eliminated that possibility.

An item which came up in our group meeting today was the possibility that a video might have been taken immediately after the fire.
Is this normally the case, or do pictures usually suffice?
I suppose discovering the hand prints under the overlying soot would require dusting the covering soot off to make them visible.

I would love to get into the house and at least take some pictures, but it's going to have to wait awhile.

Thanks, brother, for the info.
It's succinct and knowledgeable as usual.

Semper Fi

813 posted on 08/30/2002 6:15:51 PM PDT by COB1
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To: theirjustdue; COB1
COB, I will do what I can and make the promised contacts next week. I must insist however that you two stop using well known cult signs such as "Semper Fi".

These words are enough to make good men sick and are used only by the newer, smaller services and certain night watchmen for the navy! ;-)

Covering the Marines as always ...GO ARMY!

814 posted on 08/30/2002 7:40:05 PM PDT by HoustonCurmudgeon
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To: HoustonCurmudgeon
Covering the Marines, as always....GO ARMY!!

BELAY THAT TALK, DOGFACE!!

815 posted on 08/30/2002 8:08:08 PM PDT by LadyX
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To: LadyX
Madam,

There is nothing wrong with the Marines ...... that 20 points of IQ, soap, and a brillo pad can't solve!

816 posted on 08/30/2002 8:11:45 PM PDT by HoustonCurmudgeon
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To: HoustonCurmudgeon
"I must insist however that you two stop using well known cult signs such as "Semper Fi". "

What in the heck do you want us to say:

"AN ARMY OF ONE !!"

Hell, that don't EVEN make sense!

Or I guess we could sing to each other:

"Over hill, over dale, we have hit the dusty trail,...etc."

817 posted on 08/30/2002 8:20:10 PM PDT by COB1
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To: COB1; HoustonCurmudgeon
""Over hill, over dale, we have hit the dusty trail,...etc.""

(psst...as an Army guy, he probably thinks dale means dale evans, cobby!)

818 posted on 08/30/2002 8:23:02 PM PDT by LadyX
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To: LadyX; HoustonCurmudgeon
Aw, heck, Lady!
They don't know who Dale Evans is!
They don't have time to watch good movies like that!
They spend all their time rolling those darn caissons along (and one of these days I'm going to figure out what in the heck those things are!).
819 posted on 08/30/2002 8:35:34 PM PDT by COB1
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To: COB1; HoustonCurmudgeon
"They spend all their time rolling those darn caissons along"

Betcha they think it is 'case' of beer 'on' the wagon rolling along in case of dire need!
LOL

820 posted on 08/30/2002 8:45:05 PM PDT by LadyX
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