Cohen performed an autopsy on Kayleighs body on Feb. 3, 2014, two days after she was found by police dead in her mothers apartment at 2060 Wilkins Ave. in Napa.
Kayleigh died from complications of mesenteric contusion and small intestinal hematoma caused by fatal child abuse and neglect, Cohen testified. She suffered multiple blunt impact injuries to the head, torso and extremities and her death was classified as a homicide.
During his external examination of Kayleighs body, Cohen said that he found approximately 41 visible injuries a combination of both bruises and abrasions covering her forehead, face, torso, abdominal area, back, buttocks, legs and arms. The external exam, which typically takes between five and 10 minutes, took several hours, he said.
When I first saw Kayleigh, what struck me within seconds was that, at her abdomen, the skin was green and that was a red flag that I could be dealing with an abdominal catastrophe, Cohen said. After a person dies, the first part of their body to turn green is usually the lower right abdomen, he said. This was not the case with Kayleigh, he said, Her entire abdomen was green.