Daniel Smith Update

The saga of Anna Nicole Smith's son's death continues and we have the inside scoop: Anna Nicole hired pathology superstar Cyril Wecht to do another autopsy on her son. Cyril Wecht worked on celebrity/famous cases from Elvis to JonBenet Ramsey to Laci Peterson. Cyril is also a Pittsburgher. Dino and I are formerly known as Pittsburghers. Therefore, we automatically know everything about this case.

Here are a few pictures of the family together - they look so happy it breaks my heart. Cyril Wecht said that his examination on Sunday indicated there was no sign of heart disease, stroke, cancer, systemic infection, pulmonary embolism or "congenital anomaly." Wecht did confirm that the boy was on prescription antidepressants at the time of his death. Wecht told the Associated Press that Daniel had begun taking the medication to treat depression that "had to do with a girlfriend" four to six weeks prior to his passing. The pathologist stressed, however, that the dosage was "quite low" and that there was no evidence of a "suicidal overdose." He also sided with Bahamian head coroner Linda P. Virgill, whose office labeled the death "suspicious" and "unnatural" because there was no indication that Daniel was unhealthy and that there was no sign of foul play. "I don't find anything that would cause me to believe there is something in terms of some traumatic injury that was inflicted or somebody having done something to him in some cryptic manner that could not be observed," he said.

The inconclusive results don't signal an end to Wecht's involvement in the case, though. In fact, it may just be the beginning. He has ordered a second round of comprehensive tests, including a toxicology screening, to compare with those already completed in the Bahamas, and he has also sent for Daniel's medical records from the U.S. Wecht said it could take anywhere from two weeks to four months for conclusive results. The uncertainty of the second autopsy casts even more of a mystery on the shocking death. Last week, Virgill told reporters she believed she knew the cause of Daniel's death but was still awaiting the results of a toxicology test for confirmation. She said she would not reveal her findings until the completion of an inquest, scheduled to begin Oct. 23 and run through November. As part of the investigation, authorities will take testimony from everyone who had contact with the young man prior to his death, including that of his mother and her legal sidekick Howard K. Stern, both of whom were in the room at Nassau's Doctors Hospital when Daniel was found dead. [source]

Sounds like Anna Nicole needs to get Gil Grissom, Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson on the case. Those three would solve this whole mystery in an hour... or about 45 minutes if you have DVR and can fast-forward through the commercials. On a positive note, Anna "is doing well and she wants everyone to stop jumping to conclusions, take a breath, step back and await the outcome of any reports from Dr. Wecht and Dr. Raju [who performed the initial autopsy] and to await the outcome of any coroner's proceedings." Dammit, now I feel obligated to jump to one more conclusion...

So far, the following causes have been ruled out: suicidal overdose, heart disease, stroke, cancer, systemic infection, pulmonary embolism, suicide, congenital anomaly, nautral causes, foul play, trauma, etc. What's left? Accidental overdose. Drug interactions. Poisoning. Allergic reaction. I guess we'll find out in two weeks to four months.