Late last week, after six months of mystery, the official cause of death of swimming champ Jamie Cail was released.
The Virgin Islands Police Department revealed on Friday it had been determined the manner of Jamie’s death was determined as accidental. The cause? “Fentanyl intoxication with aspiration of gastric content” — meaning, near as we can tell, that she overdosed and choked on her own vomit. Another accidental fentanyl overdose. Tragic. But… what if it wasn’t? Jamie’s family isn’t buying it!
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Speaking to Insider on Tuesday, Jessica DeVries, cousin of Jamie and spokesperson for her family, explained:
“We know that Jamie did not ingest fentanyl intentionally. There is definitely foul play.”
But this isn’t just a family refusing to believe their loved one could take drugs. They claim to have evidence there was more to her death. What? Photos taken by a family liaison of the body after the autopsy — pics they say prove “somebody put their hands on Jamie.” Jessica explained:
“We have decided to release the photo because we need everybody to understand that Jamie was not a fentanyl user — that she had actually been beaten. Jamie’s face was smashed in, the top of her skull and her nose.”
Insider saw the pics and confirmed Jamie had a black eye and damaged nose — but ultimately opted not to publish the photos due to their graphic nature.
This new evidence certainly does raise questions. As Jessica put it:
“Her face is bashed in. Did fentanyl do that to her?”
The one-time US national team gold medalist was reportedly found unresponsive by boyfriend Kamal Thomas and a friend. The pair claimed they had returned to her home on St. John island around midnight when they discovered Jamie lying on the floor. However, according to a police report at the time, instead of calling emergency services the two drove Jamie to the clinic themselves. Not only that, they arrived at 2:39 a.m. — well over two hours after they say they first discovered her body. So CPR wasn’t performed for quite some time. Doesn’t make sense, does it?
Insider got a professional opinion on the pics. Michael Baden, former New York City chief medical examiner, agreed the photos show physical trauma suffered before death — but isn’t convinced it’s necessarily “evidence of a beating or a cause of death.” He said it only proves there was “a blow to the eye or a blow to the scalp” which “could have happened in a number of different ways.”
Could she have fallen in her home when she passed out? The police seem satisfied with Kamal’s answers. But the family most certainly is not. What do YOU think, Perezcious detectives??
[Image via ABC News/YouTube.]
The post Swimmer Jamie Cail's Family REJECT Fentanyl As Cause Of Death -- Because Her 'Face Was Smashed In'?! appeared first on Perez Hilton.