Just wanted to share some thoughts on Shannan’s 2nd autopsy performed by Dr. Baden.
1) No traces of any drugs were detected in Shannan’s remains. (Nor were they in the 1st autopsy) I am not well versed in any of this stuff, but does anyone know if toxicology is typically accurate when performed on mostly skeletonized remains?
In this article from 2014, Dr. Kobilinski (who appears to have no relation to the case) opines that the tissue could be compromised and that they should expect to find evidence of cocaine use because Shannan was a known user. I’m wary of going down that line of thinking, because even if the tissue was compromised, that still leaves us with no actual
evidence of recent drug use. As far as I’m aware, we don’t know when the last time Shannan used cocaine was. I’m curious if anyone knows about the science behind this.
2) Due to the lack of any evidence of drug use, combined with Brewer’s statement to the cops that there was no drug use that night, (they apparently find him credible) it seems odd for police to still be speculating that Shannan’s death was drug-related. Even if Shannan
was in a drug induced stupor and wandered into the marsh somehow, why did she die? The same question applies for if she was suffering from a mental illness-related episode.
3)
According to this article, on the initial autopsy, the medical examiner noted a dent in Shannan’s hyoid bone that Baden noted as an actual hole. The 1st medical examiner seems to have been negligent to me; the hole didn’t suddenly appear. But in regards to the hole, what on earth would actually cause that? Is it possible to actually puncture the hyoid bone without completely shattering it? What sort of instrument would have to be used to do that?
4) Is there an explanation other than strangulation as to how the hyoid bone could become damaged? The only other one I can think of is severe trauma to the neck, but that also seems unlikely to happen on accident
5)
Shannan’s body was found lying face up on a bush. I can’t conceive of how she possibly could have drowned if this is how she was found. I know that “dry drowning” is a thing, but that also seems unlikely given the shallowness of the water and its relative rarity. AFAIK, Shannan did not appear physically disoriented to any of the people she encountered before disappearing. She was able to walk, run, etc… Another note: in the article, Ray says that when he walked into the marsh to try and see what it was like to navigate, that he could actually see nearby houses while walking through the marsh.
I still feel unsure of how Shannan died, but it doesn’t seem like LE has taken the investigation into Shannan’s death very seriously. They’ve suggested that she may have overdosed on drugs, got lost and died of exposure, or drowned. It seems bizarre to suggest so many different potential causes of death for a person who has actually been
found. Like they’re just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks and ignoring the elephant in the room. Shannan’s death can’t be rightfully called accidental without LE first having a logical explanation for why her hyoid bone was damaged.
MOO