4 years have handed because the sudden demise of Freddie McKee. Since then, his mom has labored restlessly, conducting her personal investigation to search out out what occurred after two conflicting toxicology reviews contradict the whole lot she is aware of about her son.
As The Root beforehand reported, round 2:45 a.m. on July 8, 2020, a neighbor referred to as authorities to report a shirtless man in her trash who mentioned he was on the lookout for his cellphone. Round 6 a.m, police obtained one other name however from Freddie Gardner, McKee’s father, reporting that his son was useless on his entrance porch.
Now, Freddie’s mom, Doressia McKee, is suing the Columbia Police Division for racial discrimination after she says they didn’t totally examine her son’s method of demise. As a substitute, she says they wrote him off as simply one other statistic: a drug addict.
Right here’s what we all know.
What the Post-mortem Discovered…
College of Missouri Medical Examiner Dr. Carl Stacy’s handwritten post-mortem notes cite a number of abrasions (a superficial rub or carrying off of the pores and skin), contusions (ruptured bruises), and scars on Freddie’s again and the again of his legs.
McKee believes, primarily based on the reviews, that there was a battle previous her son’s demise and that McKee’s physique was moved or in movement earlier than the police arrived. The Root reviewed each an EMS and police report that confirms his arm was raised off the bottom when authorities arrived on the scene. A paramedic wrote they tried to maneuver the arm however confirmed Freddie’s physique was in rigor mortis.
The Unique Toxicology Report
A July 26, 2020, toxicology report exhibits Freddie’s blood examined constructive for caffeine, olanzapine (used to deal with psychotic issues) and Celexa/Lexapro (used to deal with melancholy). His mom tells The Root she obtained a name from Detective Steve Wilmoth in August 2020 claiming he was given the title of one other drug present in her son’s system and alleged Freddie, a enterprise proprietor and Black historical past buff, died of an overdose.
“My son ain’t by no means been no addict. Please, if I knew about any of that, I’d be sitting on the rehabilitation [center] with my son ensuring he would overcome no matter form of problem,” Ms. McKee informed The Root. Freddie’s medical information present no proof of drug abuse.
McKee described Freddie as sort and non-confrontational. She admits he might have blended with a foul crowd when he was youthful, however didn’t match the profile of what the cops had been making an attempt to push. She insisted Freddie did smoke marijuana, however “by no means raised his voice, by no means cursed, by no means talked again — he’s all the time been a very good child.”
The Contradicting Second Toxicology Report…
Per McKee, not solely did Wilmoth not specify how he recognized the reason for demise prematurely, however a letter Dr. Stacy filed to a choose that August claimed the reason for demise was nonetheless “pending.”
McKee mentioned a second toxicology report was mysteriously issued regardless of by no means being contacted by the medical expert in regards to the retesting of her son’s blood. The second “corrected” report, obtained by The Root, detailed extensively the proof of damage from the unique post-mortem.
Dr. Stacy concluded Freddie’s official reason for demise was an “accident attributable to eutylone toxicity.” One other toxicology report, almost similar to the primary, included a brand new compound listed as a “particular request discovering” which Freddie examined constructive for: eutylone, a stimulant much like Bathtub Salts. Who precisely requested the brand new take a look at is unclear.
She referred to as out the police who deemed her “a liar” who “knew about my son’s drug abuse.” She added: “How do you come to a demise scene and you recognize already, on that day, that my son is an addict? The place did you get that info from?”
Overdose? Or Exaggeration?
In line with the report, Freddie examined constructive for 5500 ng/ml of eutylone. Nevertheless, his post-mortem famous all of his inside organs had been “unremarkable” or absent of any injury. His coronary heart, particularly, had no flaws.
“I didn’t learn something about something about his nostril, like if he was snorting. They took his mind out and the whole lot. So, for them to come back again and for the whole lot to be ‘unremarkable’ then how the hell are the police going to say that he had a historical past [of drug abuse]?” mentioned McKee.
What Does the Demise Investigator Need to Say?
The Root requested Boone/Callaway County Medical Examiner’s Workplace demise investigator Stacey Huck about an “expanded panel” in circumstances like Freddie’s. He revealed that the take a look at might run if the primary take a look at consists of an “out of scope” discovering. Expanded panels are the place artificial substances particularly are examined.
When requested to element the quantity of eutylone discovered, Huck couldn’t clarify precisely what the outcomes meant however mentioned it implies a “actually excessive quantity.” Regardless of the scientific findings, McKee wasn’t satisfied and pushed to search out her personal solutions.
And Outdoors Specialists?…
The Root reached out to an knowledgeable to overview the 2 autopsies. In addition they in contrast the findings to a globally recognized police brutality case that introduced forth the identical considerations.
What they needed to say in Half 2 might shock you…