This is a follow-up to The Breitbart Coroner (Michael Cormier) Part I – The Toe Tag. Part II of our Investigation provides insights on the protocols and atmosphere surrounding the suspicious death of Michael Cormier.
We want to present a few facts about Michael Cormier and his last day of life. Michael Cormier digested a large amount of arsenic during the last 24 hours he was alive. His stomach was not pumped at the hospital, only blood samples were taken. His stomach contents are listed in the initial autopsy report and pictured here –
2014
After a year of waiting… our Source is told by Interim Chief Dan Anderson that the stomach contents were discarded “per retention policy,” on March 25th, 2013, however, other samples were not disposed of. In the lab report, the stomach contained 2300ppm of arsenic. Why was a key piece of evidence in an open investigation destroyed before it could be tested?
Dan Anderson: “As of today, Labs is in possession of HB, Fbx3, Vit, EDTA, Hosp bldx1, Hosp serumx2.
The ST, Liv, Bile, Urine Skeletal muscle, Fat and Msentin fat were discarded on 3-25-13 per retention policy.
If I recall correctly, he spent several days in the hospital—therefore, testing of the stomach would not be so relevant as they may have already pumped his stomach.”
Source: “Thanks, Dan, However, your recollection is not correct. Mike did not spend several days in the hospital, only several hours. His stomach was not pumped. Submitted stomach contents contained 2300ppm of arsenic according to a lap report emailed to you 5/9/2012. We need the stomach contents. Do you have it Dan?”
Dan Anderson: “Stomach contents? My apologies about my recollection. As stated, the specimens (as stated) were discarded.”
This is a brief email between Lead Detective Castro and our Source.
Source: “Just wanted to touch base and inquire as to whether you were uncomfortable in acquiring the information from Dan Anderson at the coroner’s office I’ve requested? Please let me know as I have no inhibitions in communicating with him myself. The Lab in Washington will not give us any information.”
Detective Castro: “To answer your questions. No, I don’t have any concerns with LA County Coroners Office. They perform thousands of autopsies throughout the year, from transients to high profile and they do a great job.
They destroyed the stomach contents per their policy they have the right to do so. Would I have preferred they keep it? Sure. But I don’t necessarily need it if in the future I receive information that this could have been a homicide. We’ve filed murder cases here without ever finding the victim’s body.
I’ve treated this case as a homicide from the get go, even though there’s a lot more evidence to suggest suicide. It will stay undetermined until future evidence proves otherwise.”
Source: “That’s what I’ve been waiting to hear detective. I asked for this information a month ago after your email about the tests which Dan communicated with you. I thought that you being lead detective on the case would want us to communicate with you. It’s strange to me that you see yourself as a middleman in all this detective. I thought that perhaps you may have wanted a little more detail yourself but you obviously were satisfied with the low-level information that Dan provided you with and I guess you assumed I would be too. Do you have any concerns with the LA County Coroners Office? They destroyed the most key piece of evidence that we had in this case and you’re not phased a bit. Why save the blood and yet throw out the stomach contents? “
If Michael’s stomach contents were preserved, the exact origin of the arsenic could’ve been traced. Dan Anderson states to our Source that he cannot find a lab to perform the tests needed on the blood. A private lab was contacted by our Source in 2014. They conducted the tests needed on the blood and the results proved it to be of industrial grade. The stomach contents were never sent to a private lab nor was it tested within the LA Coroner’s Office. Why? And why did the blood tests take over two years to perform?
California Penal Code 135 PC states:
“Any person who, knowing that any book, paper, record, instrument in writing, or other matter or thing, is about to be produced in evidence upon any trial, inquiry, or investigation whatever, authorized by law, willfully destroys or conceals the same, with intent thereby to prevent it from being produced, is guilty of the crime of destroying or concealing evidence.”
As stated by Exploreforsenics.co.uk:
“In most autopsies, the contents of the stomach are an important piece of evidence, which can sometimes prove to be the difference between accidental death and foul play.”
- Why did Dan Anderson tell two different Coroners that the advanced tests would not be possible on the stomach contents?
- Where did the arsenic come from? The blood tests confirmed it was inorganic but did not locate the origin.
DR. ORTIZ (LA CORONER ON BLOOD TEST RESULTS):
ADDENDUM TO THE OPINION: 08/30/14
“Speciation of the Arsenic, found in this case was done on July 23, 2014, at the Laboratory of the Applied and Special Consulting, LLC.
The analysis revealed that most of the Arsenic present in the blood samples taken at autopsy is the INORGANIC TYPE (AS III).
As per opinion of the laboratory that did the speciation; the presence of this type of arsenic eliminates arsenical pesticides as the source since those are predominantly monomethyl arsonic acid (which is considered ORGANIC Arsenic). Rat poison is ruled out as the source since most of the pesticidal compounds available now in the market are made of anticoagulants and not arsenic.
The type of arsenic found in this case in their opinion is most probably laboratory or industrial grade type, which is not commonly marketed to the public. This analysis did not reveal additional information as to the origin of the arsenic. The source of the Arsenic in this case still remains uncertain, in spite of this information. Since the analysis did not clarify the problem, the manner of death could not be determined still.”
We tackle these questions and more in Part III of our Investigation.
This is an official PROJECT ASTRAL investigation.
– Press Graye
@ amazon.com
PROJECT ASTRAL 
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