Experts needed at death scene

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Alberta's chief medical examiner says medical personnel should be involved at a death scene investigation though he admits that's not always the case, a provincial inquiry heard

Wednesday.

Dr. John Butt told the Rolf Commission investigating a series of Blood Indian deaths he believes a death scene should be investigated by both police and medical experts.

"Forty per cent of these death are medically related," Butt told inquiry Commissioner Carl Rolf. "There are only five per cent of the deaths that are generally of interest to the police

because they are pursuing an investigation under the Criminal Code."

However, Butt told the inquiry, sitting at the Senator Gladstone Hal just outside of here, about 90 km southwest of Lethbridge, often a medical examiner is unable to attend a death

scene and must rely on police.

In this case, he said the police officer acts as an investigator for the medical examiner's office.

Butt added the medical examiner will also rely on historical information about the victim, circumstances of the death and any anatomical findings before concluding cause of death.

However, he warned of police providing too much information to the pathologist's when conducting an autopsy and vice versa.

"They (police) shouldn't give conjecture as to the theory," Butt said. "It's important to have factual information.

"It's important to keep conjecture away from it until the pathologist has some anatomical information."

However, he said often it's difficult to determine the cause of death because of several outside factors including alcohol and drugs.

"If you add things in the realm of drugs and alcohol, then you ring in further possibilities that don't give us the clear answers as to the mechanics involved in the death," Butt said.

Butt said alcohol is present in t least 40 per cent of unnatural deaths in Alberta.

Alcohol is also the only common denominator in the seven deaths already investigated by the inquiry.

Testimony has revealed alcohol abuse by the victims which ranges from alcoholism to wee-long binges and delirium tremens.

Relatives of the victims, however, believe the deaths have not been properly investigated and have accused RCMP and Lethbridge city police of racism.

Earlier, Butt couldn't explain to the inquiry why Blood reserve residents don't always hear from his office concerning the death of a relative.

But said a possible reason is the General Delivery address is the one most reserve residents use.

He said, however, the letters aren't intended to notify relatives of the cause of death but simply to inform them of the cause of death.

"It gives no specific information," Butt said. "It tells them where to write and gives them a brochure which helps them to understand why we became involved and the consequences

of what our involvement might be."

Butt said the letter is usually sent three days after an address can be obtained for next of kin.

The inquiry was called in June 1988 by Premier Don Getty after a request by Chief Roy Fox for an investigation into what the band believes is a series of violent Native deaths.