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Preliminary Results of Smith’s Autopsy Released

Smith
Smith

By Jesse Wood

Sept. 17, 2014. The Boone Police Department released more details into the death of Anna Marie Smith, the missing ASU student whose body was found in a wooded area in Boone on Saturday.

On Monday, Police Chief Dana Crawford said that nothing pointed towards homicide and that factors existed that led authorities to believe Smith was “intent on harming herself.”

On Wednesday, Crawford said his department received preliminary results from a Dr. Lantz, the forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy on Smith. Crawford released the following:

  • There were no injuries to the head, neck, chest, or pelvic region.
  • There were indications of asphyxia.
  • The amount of time Anna had been deceased is consistent with the date she was last seen.
  • A toxicology examination request has been made to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (this testing could take 6-8 weeks).

Crawford noted that these were only initial findings and more testing will be done.

“We want to reassure the Smith family and the community that we have not completed this investigation, in fact, we are just beginning. We know that this information gives the appearance that this was not a homicide, but we must do everything within our power to make sure,” Crawford said in a statement. “We will continue to work toward the goal of answering as many questions about Anna’s death as possible. We are grateful for the full cooperation of our law enforcement partners to include: the State Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, ASU Police Department, and Watauga County Sheriff’s Office.”