Some of the most prominent medical professionals in the field of pathology address the investigation related to the death of Texas mother Christina Lee Powell, who was found dead in her car more than two weeks after she was seen leaving of his San Antonio. Accommodation.
Powell, a 39-year-old mother of two boys, was found dead in the passenger seat of her Nissan SUV on the evening of July 23. Investigators have so far said they believe his car has been there for at least a week.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office told Fox News Digital on Monday that Powell’s cause and manner of death remain “pending” while the office awaits the results of further tests. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Police Department could not confirm an Inside Edition report claiming Powell died of an “apparent suicide” after driving directly from her home to the parking lot on July 5 where she was discovered nearly three weeks later.
Speaking to Fox News Digital on Monday, longtime medical examiner Dr. Cyril Wecht said further testing will likely consist of toxicology and microscopic testing to check for any conditions.
AUTOPSY OF TEXAS MOTHER CHRISTINA LEE POWELL PERFORMED MONDAY, IS ‘WAITING’ FOR FURTHER STUDIES: ME’S OFFICE
Undated photos from police and relatives show Christina “Chrissy” Lee Powell, who was last seen on July 5, 2022.
(San Antonio Police Department; Courtesy of Lauren Leal)
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“They’re waiting for toxicology, that’s the biggest thing — the biggest thing,” said Wecht, who has been involved in some of the nation’s most high-profile death studies, including those involving President John F Kennedy and JonBenét Ramsey. . “They will also look at the tissue under a microscope – make sure there are no signs of inflammation of the heart or lungs or anything like that.”
dr. Michael Baden, Fox News contributor and former Chief Medical Officer in New York researcher, said that, quite simply, the need for further testing means that the cause and the manner were not immediately clear.
TEXAS MISSING BODY OF CHRISTINA LEE POWELL FOUND IN PASSENGER SEAT OF CAR IN PARKING LOT
“Usually this can mean that there are no external marks on the body. For example, if there had been a gunshot wound, strangulation – trauma – or if they had found cancer or heart disease as the cause of death during the autopsy, that would have been released immediately,” he said. Baden, who performed more than 20,000 autopsies in his five decades as a medical examiner.
“And if the autopsy itself doesn’t reveal the cause of death, then the tests most likely to be meaningful would be toxicology, with the idea…what about the story? If she is depressed, for example, they might think of barbiturates.” , drugs, deadly drugs.”
Powell disappeared without a trace on the morning of July 5, after she was last seen walking through the front door of the San Antonio home she shared with her mother and oldest son. The morning of her disappearance, she told her mother that she was late for work.
She was later captured on doorbell camera footage and left the house around 10.35am but was never seen again. Powell left his cellphone – which had been left on the bathroom counter – some medicine and possibly his Apple Watch when he left.
She drove off in her Nissan SUV, but never made the seven miles or 15 minutes to her office.
Claudia Mobley reported her daughter missing the following day. She then told Fox News Digital that her daughter had already left the house once, but returned within a week and Mobley never reported the incident to police.
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A doorbell camera screenshot shows Christina “Chrissy” Powell leaving her San Antonio home on July 5, 2022
(Courtesy of Lauren Leal)
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Then the San Antonio Police received a report of “an injured patient” at the Huebner Oaks Center in San Antonio around 6:45 p.m. on July 23.
Officers arrived and spoke to a guard who told them he was walking through the property and saw the 2020 Nissan Rogue, later determined to belong to Powell, “which had been parked in the same location for about a week,” said said the San Antonio Police Department. .
MISSING TEXAS MAM CHRISTINA POWELL: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT SAN ANTONIO’S PARALEGAL WHO IS MISSING FOR MORE THAN A WEEK
He “reported a foul odor coming from the vehicle” and looked inside to find the body in the front passenger seat, police said.
The SUV’s windows were closed, a law enforcement source told Fox News Digital.
“That was a few days ago,” the source added.
There were no obvious signs of trauma on Powell’s body and her purse, which contained identifying information, was also inside her. It was not immediately clear whether drugs or writings were found at the scene.
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Wecht told Fox News Digital that while pathologists know what caused Powell’s death, they need to do more to determine if it was intentional, accidental, natural or inconclusive.
He added that the levels of any chemical in his system could better explain whether the death was an accident. Hypothetically, he said, evidence of a high volume of drugs or alcohol in Powell’s system would indicate more specific intent.
The shopping complex is about 4 miles – a 10-minute drive – from his home in Red Hill Place. Temperatures in San Antonio hit the 90s, if not higher, during the estimated time Powell’s vehicle was parked in the parking lot.
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts or a psychological breakdown, please contact the Suicide and crisis lifeline at 988.
