Anna Nicole Smith Autopsy Report

CNN 3/26/07 Robin Meade & Company

Interview with Legal Analyst Kendall Coffey

ROBIN MEADE:  The medical examiner’s initial autopsy report was released one day after Smith died. How could this final report change based on the fact that they did have additional evidence though they didn’t say what that evidence was?

KENDALL COFFEY:  Well, they are looking at prescription drugs. The police have probably been trying to track leads to figure out whatever the source was of the drugs that were apparently found in the hotel room. In the meantime, the medical examiner received toxicology reports—lab results that can hopefully enable him to pin down the cause of death. We’ll find out in about four hours.

ROBIN MEADE:  If the prescription drug overdose did cause her death would the person or the people who wrote those prescriptions be in trouble?

KENDALL COFFEY:  Well, if those prescription drugs got to her in some way that’s illegal and it contributed to her death, somebody is in a lot of trouble and, even if there was no crime committed, whoever was the enabler in this could be facing a big lawsuit for wrongful death at some point down the road.

ROBIN MEADE:  What are chances that this autopsy result is going to be any different than the preliminary one because some legal analysts are saying “hey if she died of something like the flu or high temperature we would have known by now”?

KENDALL COFFEY:  Well, I think natural causes would surprise any of us. Some of the delay may be the celebrity factor. The lives of the rich and famous get a lot more scrutiny and attention. So sometimes do their deaths. And, with the eyes of the world watching this medical examiner, I’m sure he’s wanted to take every test, pursue every lead and not take any chances about getting it right.

ROBIN MEADE:  What about the baby fight? In the eyes of the law, no matter what the autopsy results say, Howard K. Stern, is he not the father of this child because his name appeared on the birth certificate?

KENDALL COFFEY:  Well, under Bahamian law so far, he is presumed to be the father. He will continue in that status unless and until the Bahamian court says otherwise. Meanwhile, Robin, you alluded to the fact that some of the results could impact on that if there was something about the cause of death that suggests Howard K. Stern is an enabler – that somehow in some passive or active way had something to do with Anna Nicole’s death. That could have a powerful role with respect to his fitness in connection with the ongoing battles over the baby Danielyn.