Skip to comments.

Posted on 03/31/2014 10:55:40 AM PDT by ethical

Seeing With One’s Own Eyes : Evidence the Hawaii Medical Examiner turned a blind eye to the death of Loretta Fuddy by Linda Jordan

The principal aim of an autopsy is to determine the cause of death when the cause of death is equivocal or unknown. It is a “strictly the facts ma’am” kind of procedure.

A Medical Examiner or Coroner simply reports what is “seen with their own eyes” concerning the condition of the body and organs after an autopsy. A review of the deceased’s medical history is also included in their assessment. When all is said and done they offer a professional opinion as to the manner of death based on the physical findings and medical history.

If you have ever read a Coroner’s report you know they are very dry. No ad-libbing or wild guessing, no emotion, just straight reporting and fact based conclusions about the state of the body. Lots of words and phrases like, “anterior thorax”, “usual lobular architecture”, “unremarkable”, “perirenal soft tissue”, “sclerae and conjunctivae”, “intact”, “coronary arteries arise normally”, “well-preserved follicular and trabecular markings”.

That’s why I was concerned by newspaper accounts of the Hawaii Medical Examiner’s reported cause of death for Loretta Fuddy, the former Director of the Hawaii Department of Health. What the medical examiner has released so far is heavy on the perceived emotion of Loretta at the time of her death and speculation about the condition of her heart.

Emotion and speculation are not things the medical examiner could have seen with her own eyes.

Some Background.

You will remember that Loretta Fuddy was the person who released photo copies of Barack Obama’s original, long form Certificate of Live Birth. She did this at Obama’s request and said that she hoped it would put an end to the “numerous inquiries” the Hawaii DOH has received to produce the document. Judith Corley, Obama’s lawyer, says she flew to Hawaii to collect this document.

Obama then posted the purported birth certificate to the White House website on April 27, 2011. It has since been proven to be an abject forgery. It was not a scan of a photo copy of an original document. It was a forged PDF file that never existed in paper form until someone pushed print.

Loretta Fuddy died after a plane crash on December 11, 2013. Just a month and a half prior she had been named in two affidavits filed in U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington. The originator of the affidavits had asked that a Grand Jury be convened to investigate Obama’s forged birth certificate and Fuddy’s role, if any, in its production.

Fuddy and her Deputy Director Keith Yamamoto had traveled to the island of Molokai that day on a work related trip. On their return flight the small plane they were riding in was forced to make an emergency ocean landing, fairly close to shore, after suffering a complete engine failure.

It was a very smooth landing according to the video one passenger captured. All nine passengers, including Loretta, secured their life jackets and calmly disembarked from the plane. In fact there was almost no sound as they exited into the approximately 70 degree water.

Within minutes after the forced landing a small plane flew overhead and survivors knew that help was on the way. Then, inexplicably, Loretta Fuddy suffered an equivocal death. A death of unknown origin.

Problems With The Autopsy: The First Cause Of Death Release.

Loretta was the only fatality, and a high profile one. Autopsies are to be performed as soon after death as possible. Preferably within 24 hours. It was reported that Loretta Fuddy’s autopsy took place two days after her death. Why wait two days? And if the autopsy was completed on December 13th, 2013 why were the results kept private for a month? Details from the autopsy report were not revealed until January 13, 2014. And scant details they were. The Maui Police Department, not the Medical Examiner’s Office, reported that Loretta Fuddy, “suffered a cardiac arrhythmia while floating in the water” and that Fuddy's “irregular heartbeat” was the result of stress brought on by the December 11 crash.

It is not possible to diagnose death by “cardiac arrhythmia”. It is something that can only be measured in a live person and there is no evidence of it after death. If someone had a medical history of cardiac arrhythmia it could be a good guess but a guess none the less.

And therein lies the rub. The Medical Examiners designation of death, cardiac arrhythmia due to stress, is in direct conflict with the known facts.

Loretta’s brother, Lewis P. Fuddy Jr., says that his sister was healthy, that she had no heart problems and that she was not a stressed or fearful person. He said that she was a very calm person and had to be given her job. His personal knowledge of his own sister directly controverts the medical examiner’s conclusion.

Passenger accounts of what transpired during the crash and after directly controverts the medical examiners conclusion.

“Clyde Kawasaki, the pilot, has said Fuddy seemed to be in fine condition while bobbing in the water after everyone left the airplane and waited for rescue crews to show up at the scene.”

'Everyone was real quiet. We hit (the water) and it was all about getting the belts off,' he said, describing how everyone started putting on life jackets and remained on the plane until it seemed to start sinking.'There wasn't panic or anything. It was very orderly,' he said. Phillip Hollstein

“Bobbing in the water, Hollstein noticed the pilot and seven other passengers seemed fine. 'I didn't want to sit out there bobbing, so I figured I'd take a shot at going to the shoreline.' He guesses the swim to the rugged shoreline took an hour and a half. He was surprised to hear later that one of the passengers, Hawaii Health Director Loretta Fuddy, had later died. 'She was doing fine out of the airplane,' Hollstein said”.

The video footage of the actual plane crash directly controverts the medical examiner’s conclusion. Loretta Fuddy was not screaming or crying. No one was. “The 2002 Cessna Grand Caravan's cabin starts to flood after impact - but everyone remains calm and eerily quiet as they leave the sinking craft.” “In the video, the passengers can be seen making their way out calmly.”

There is only one hearsay account that Fuddy needed to “relax” after the crash. KeithYamamoto purportedly told Rev. Patrick Killilea that he had held Loretta’s hand and tried to help her to “relax” but at some point she let go of his hand and was unresponsive.

The Second Cause Of Death Release.

Two months after the Maui Police Department revealed Fuddy’s cause of death the Associated Press (AP) sent out a short article with details straight from their own copy of the autopsy report which they obtained on March 10, 2014. Now, four months after her death, we learn this from newspaper accounts of the AP story.

*‘Autopsy report says Loretta Fuddy was “markedly afraid” after plane crash’.

*‘Details in the autopsy report of Hawaii's former health director who died after a plane's ocean landing revealed how traumatic the ordeal was for her.’

*‘The autopsy report obtained by The Associated Press on Monday said Loretta Fuddy was "markedly afraid" while waiting for help to arrive after the small plane crashed off Molokai on Dec. 11.’

*‘The report says 65-year-old Fuddy was a "rudimentary swimmer" who never swam in the ocean.’

*The autopsy said [Fuddy’s] acute cardiac arrhythmia was due to hyperventilation.

*Official autopsy results for late state health director Loretta Fuddy reveal she was a poor swimmer and never swam in ocean waters.

*According to the report, witnesses saw Fuddy exit the aircraft with her flotation device and [she] was “markedly afraid” while waiting for rescue personnel to arrive. She was pronounced dead after being brought to shore. (This is in direct conflict with first hand witness accounts reported at the time. Remember the pilot and passenger Hollstein both said Fuddy was calm and was doing fine and no witness in any newspaper account of the crash ever said Fuddy was “markedly afraid”. So where did this come from?)

*The [autopsy] report says reported ocean conditions included relatively calm five-foot waves that occasionally splashed over the face of the crash victims as they awaited rescue.

Listen to the words coming out of the medical examiner’s report: Loretta Fuddy was markedly afraid, it was a traumatic ordeal, she was a poor swimmer, she never swam in the ocean, water occasionally splashed over her face while awaiting rescue, ocean conditions included relatively calm five-foot waves. This is an autopsy report? Does this sound like a systematic external and internal examination of a dead body to determine if any abnormalities are present and are the cause of death? Where are the words that actually tell us the condition of her body and health? Why are the emotional, speculative words pushed to the forefront but the technical, factual descriptions are kept hidden? And why is this autopsy report filled with emotion and speculation in the first place?

The AP did not share a copy of the report which was said to be heavily redacted. It is important to note that attorney Orly Taitz made a public records request for the autopsy report on December 18, 2013 and has never received a copy.

Why did the AP get a copy but not Taitz? It is a public record subject to Hawaii’s Unified Information Practices Act Statue 92F. I requested one myself but seriously doubt it will be forthcoming . Is it only released to people who will beat the drum that Loretta’s death was caused by fear & hyperventilation?

A final point. One headline announcing the Maui Police Department’s release of autopsy details (January 13, 2014) said that Loretta’s death had been ruled “accidental”.

As of March 29, 2014 no one knows why the plane’s engine failed. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has yet to determine the cause of the crash so how can the Medical Examiner or the Maui Police Department rule Fuddy’s death “accidental”?

Closing.

The Medical Examiner’s autopsy report guesses at the cause of death for Loretta Fuddy. And sometimes, absent any clues from the body, that’s all you can do. However, I would wager in this case that most Medical Examiners would have gone with, “manner of death undetermined”. But what makes Dr. Harle’s guess most disturbing is the fact that it is in direct conflict with eyewitness accounts of Loretta at the time of the crash and in direct conflict with her own brother’s knowledge of her.

She’s clearly trying to make a square peg fit in to a round hole in spite of the facts.

Review all the documentation I’ve supplied. See it with your own eyes and then ask yourself three questions.

1. Does this autopsy report, what little we’ve seen of it, sound like an autopsy report?

2. Does the “markedly afraid” portrayal of Loretta Fuddy jive with the original eye witness accounts and the video?

3. Is the designation of death, by cardiac arrhythmia due to a fearful, un-calm, hyperventilating demeanor, supported by the description that Lewis Fuddy gives of his sister Loretta?

Read it again and let it sink in.

‘The brother of state Health Director Loretta Fuddy said his sister had no heart problems or pre-existing conditions that would have contributed to her death following a December plane crash off Molo­kai. "She was a healthy lady," Lewis Fuddy said Monday. "She handled stress every day as director of the state Department of Health. She solved problems under pressure. She was a very calm person." ‘ ."She wasn't an anxious person," he said. "To be head of the Health Department, you have to have some cool nerves."

End Notes

1 having two or more possible meanings: not easily understood or explained 2 Unlike Coroners, Medical Examiners are government-appointed physicians who are certified specialists in forensic pathology. They do not need permission from the next of kin to perform an autopsy. 3 Origin of AUTOPSY: Greek autopsia, the act of seeing with one's own eyes, First Known Use: 1678. 4 Dr. Harle, Medical Examiner of Maui County 221 Mahalani Street, Wailuku HI 96793 (808) 244-9056 | Fax: (808) 242-2443 Maui Memorial Medical Center 5 There is such a thing as a Psychological Autopsy (PA) particularly in cases of suspected suicide where life insurance policies are involved. They include extensive interviews with family, friends and a review of the deceased personal records. Conclusions based on this kind of autopsy are generally not accepted in legal criminal proceedings but have been used in civil cases. They primarily serve to bring closure to the family. A PA is done in addition to the autopsy performed by the Medical Examiner. There is no suggestion that Loretta Fuddy killed herself and no evidence that a PA was performed on her. 6 http://www.mcso.org/PressRelease/ 2012 March 1,21, July 17 7 Ms. Fuddy was named in two affidavits (one public, one sealed) filed in the U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington on October 18, 2013, by Douglas Vogt, citing twenty points of forgery that comprise misprision of treason and misprision of felony. Vogt, with researcher and document expert Paul Irey, investigated the intricacies of the forgery. Mr. Vogt’s affidavit and Ms. Fuddy’s involvement gained national attention when he was interviewed on The Hagmann & Hagmann Report on December 4, 2013, exactly one week to the day before her tragic death on December 11, 2013. http://www.saveamericafoundation.com/2014/01/12/what-are-the-chances-the-mysterious-death-of-loretta-fuddy-by-doug-hagmann/ 8 http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/12/hawaii-obama-birth-certificate-fuddy/3996657/ 9 http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/plane-crashes-hawaii-killing-health-director-released-obama-birth-cert-article-1.1572282 10 http://pathlabs.ufl.edu/services/autopsy/faq-autopsy http://usaforensics.com/faqs/ 11 http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/24439053/breaking-autopsy-for-health-director-fuddy-following-plane-crash-released. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/13/loretta-fuddy-cause-of-death_n_4592104.html “Fuddy's irregular heartbeat was the result of stress from the Dec. 11 crash… Maui police announced, revealing the findings of an autopsy conducted two days after the crash. The pilot and seven other passengers on the Makani Kai Air flight survived without major injuries. “All the passengers, including Fuddy, safely evacuated the plane and activated life-vests, but according to a newly released autopsy, Fuddy suffered a cardiac arrhythmia while floating in the water, waiting for rescuers.” “Fuddy, 65, was healthy and didn't have any known heart problems, her brother, Lewis Fuddy, said Monday."She wasn't an anxious person," he said. "To be head of the Health Department, you have to have some cool nerves." 12 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/13/loretta-fuddy-cause-of-death_n_4592104.html 13 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/13/loretta-fuddy-cause-of-death_n_4592104.html 14 Pathologist factors: Some doctors express dissatisfaction with the quality of an autopsy if the pathologist does not provide answers regarding the case. Unfortunately, an autopsy does not guarantee that the cause of death, for example a heart arrhythmia, will be identified. http://www.medicinenet.com/autopsy/page3.htm#what_is_the_autopsy_report 15 http://www.kitv.com/news/hawaii/maui-police-release-cause-of-death-for-fuddy/-/8905354/23912372/-/qt081t/-/index.html#ixzz2xITz0qDK 16 Heart trouble led to Fuddy's death But the state health director did not have cardiac or stress problems, her brother says’ By Timothy Hurley POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 14, 2014 The brother of state Health Director Loretta Fuddy said his sister had no heart problems or pre-existing conditions that would have contributed to her death following a December plane crash off Molo­kai. "She was a healthy lady," Lewis Fuddy said Monday. "She handled stress every day as director of the state Department of Health. She solved problems under pressure. She was a very calm person." http://www.staradvertiser.com/s?action=login&f=y&id=240050041 17 http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/13/22294162-hawaiian-health-director-died-of-irregular-heartbeat-after-plane-crash?lite 18 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2536931/New-footage-shows-harrowing-moment-small-plane-crashed-Hawaii-killed-woman-published-President-Obamas-birth-certificate.html#ixzz2xN5RYmJN 19 http://www.chicagonewsday.com/feed/national/11572-new-footage-shows-the-harrowing-moment-a-small-plane-crashed-off-hawaii-and-killed-the-woman-who-published-president-obama-s-birth-certificate.txt 20 http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/plane-crashes-hawaii-killing-health-director-released-obama-birth-cert-article-1.1572282 21 http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/plane-crashes-hawaii-killing-health-director-released-obama-birth-cert-article-1.1572282 22 In the final moments of her life, Fuddy clung to the hand of her deputy, Keith Yamamoto, while floating in the water. Fuddy, who became widely known in 2011 for her role in making President Barack Obama’s birth certificate public, held hands with Yamamoto as he tried to help her relax, said the Rev. Patrick Killilea, who consoled Yamamoto after the ordeal. http://westhawaiitoday.com/news/state-wire/survivor-recounts-plane-crash-killed-fuddy#sthash.KpCCTidu.dpuf 23 Details in the autopsy report of Hawaii's former health director who died after a plane's ocean landing revealed how traumatic the ordeal was for her. The autopsy report obtained by The Associated Press on Monday said Loretta Fuddy was "markedly afraid" while waiting for help to arrive after the small plane crashed off Molokai on Dec. 11. The report says 65-year-old Fuddy was a "rudimentary swimmer" who never swam in the ocean. Maui police have said her death was the result of an irregular heartbeat triggered by stress. The autopsy said the acute cardiac arrhythmia was due to hyperventilation. The pilot and seven other passengers on the Makani Kai Air flight survived without major injuries. Maui County cited privacy laws for redacting significant portions of the report. http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/20140310_Autopsy_report_said_health_director_was_markedly_afraid_after_plane_crash 24 http://khon2.com/2014/03/11/autopsy-reveals-fuddys-final-moments-after-crash/ 25 http://www.westernjournalism.com/exclusive-lawyer-files-request-fuddy-autopsy/ 26 Email On Tue, Mar 25, 2014 at 4:40 PM, from Linda Jordan to Orly Taitz. I was just curious if they gave you a copy of the autopsy like they did the AP? And if they did not, why not? You did request one right? LJ they did not provide me with any answer and right now I do not have the money to file yet another law suit in HI to get it (Orly Taitz) 27 March 26, 2014 TO: Public Records Officer Coroner and Medical Examiner’s Office of Maui County RE: Request for Public Record Autopsy Report for Loretta Jean Fuddy The Associated Press reported on March 12th, 2014 that they had received a copy of the Autopsy Report for Loretta Fuddy conducted by Dr. Harle, Coroner and Medical Examiner for Maui County. I am requesting a copy of the Autopsy Report for Loretta Jean Fuddy aka Loretta Deliana Fuddy under the Unified Information Practices Act Statue 92F. Fuddy’s date of death was reported as December 11, 2013. Date of autopsy reported as December 12 or 13, 2013. I will pay the cost of copies and mailing. Electronic transfer would be acceptable also. Thank you, Linda Jordan Dr. Harle, Coroner and Medical Examiner of Maui County 221 Mahalani Street, Wailuku HI 96793 (808) 244-9056 | Fax: (808) 242-2443 Maui Memorial Medical Center 28 Hyperventilation brought on by panic or fear rarely results in death. 29 http://www.kitv.com/news/hawaii/maui-police-release-cause-of-death-for-fuddy/-/8905354/23912372/-/qt081t/-/index.html#ixzz2xITz0qDK 30 http://www.staradvertiser.com/s?action=login&f=y&id=240050041 31 http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/24439053/breaking-autopsy-for-health-director-fuddy-following-plane-crash-released. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/13/loretta-fuddy-cause-of-death_n_4592104.html

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.