Death Investigation, High Net Worth
Deadly Mixture
The Problem
He didn’t take much time to get to the point. “We lost our son a few months ago. We’re still reeling, and the police have not closed out their investigation. They’re treating it as an overdose, but,” he paused, “we just want to be sure.” At the close of the 40-minute conversation, he formally authorized the firm’s investigation of the postmortem examination and circumstances surrounding his son’s death.
The Solution
During the next two weeks, we interviewed the late college student’s friends, classmates, and girlfriend; we met with the command officers and investigators at the police department investigating the case; and we interviewed the deputy medical examiner. We confirmed that the young man died due to an accidental overdose of oxycodone and ethanol.
The Results
Although we uncovered new avenues of inquiry, we also disproved several theories about the 72 hours leading to the tragic event, and we provided some closure for the young man’s parents and family.