Death Of Chicago Priest Ruled... Suicide?

[humbleheart]

Prayers for Father. +

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='CatherineM' date='25 October 2009 - 10:23 PM' timestamp='1256505801' post='1991170']
When you read autopsy or forensic medical reports, any wound that breaks the skin is often called a stab wound. On my report, it listed a couple of dozen stab wounds, but most of the defensive wounds on my forearms, wrists and hands were barely scratches. I've had a couple of doctors over the years ask if I had attempted suicide after seeing the scars on my wrists especially. Hesitation marks can look the same as defensive wounds. To get to those arteries, you have to cut the skin above it, and that really is harder than you'd think. What caught my attention is that he was found in a locked bathroom.
[/quote]
I did not know that. I had seen that he was found in a locked bathroom, though.

[Lounge Daddy]

[quote name='Archaeology cat' date='25 October 2009 - 04:12 AM' timestamp='1256458345' post='1991031']
How does someone stab themselves 20 times?
[/quote]

Veeeeery carefully.

[Lounge Daddy]

[quote name='CatherineM' date='25 October 2009 - 05:23 PM' timestamp='1256505801' post='1991170']
When you read autopsy or forensic medical reports, any wound that breaks the skin is often called a stab wound. ...[/quote]

Didn't know that either. Thanks for pointing that out.

[Sojourner]

[quote name='CatherineM' date='25 October 2009 - 05:23 PM' timestamp='1256505801' post='1991170']
When you read autopsy or forensic medical reports, any wound that breaks the skin is often called a stab wound. On my report, it listed a couple of dozen stab wounds, but most of the defensive wounds on my forearms, wrists and hands were barely scratches. I've had a couple of doctors over the years ask if I had attempted suicide after seeing the scars on my wrists especially. Hesitation marks can look the same as defensive wounds. To get to those arteries, you have to cut the skin above it, and that really is harder than you'd think. What caught my attention is that he was found in a locked bathroom.
[/quote]
I was thinking about that while reading the story. There are 20 stab wounds, yes, but without seeing the nature of the stab wounds its impossible to tell whether they might have been inflicted by the man's own hand or another's. I'm inclined to trust the report, absent some other actual investigation to the contrary.

[quote name='CatherineM' date='25 October 2009 - 11:43 PM' timestamp='1256528607' post='1991302']
You'd think anything that showed the church in a potentially bad light would have been splashed across all the media.
[/quote]
From my newspaper days, we were typically very circumspect with suicide cases. Granted we were not as liberal as some papers in Chicago ... but still, even hardened news veterans are unlikely to play a suicide up too much. If it were a murder, yes.

[philothea]

[quote name='Terra Firma' date='26 October 2009 - 09:32 AM' timestamp='1256563932' post='1991466']
From my newspaper days, we were typically very circumspect with suicide cases. Granted we were not as liberal as some papers in Chicago ... but still, even hardened news veterans are unlikely to play a suicide up too much. If it were a murder, yes.
[/quote]
And while Chicago may be technically liberal, a LOT of people are Catholic (if not honestly, at least culturally). I haven't noticed much hostility towards the Church, certainly not compared to, say, west coast cities.