I know what the article says. I don't know what makes the author so sure she knows that no further investigation was done, or simply that the medical examiner didn't simply reconsider all the evidence. She says herself that she hasn't been able to get any information about why the cause of death was different.
I also note that the original police report doesn't actually say the preliminary cause of death finding was based on the autopsy. The preliminary cause of death was probably drowning from the moment they pulled her from the ocean. It's also possible, of course, that Detective Winfrey simply made a mistake. I just think the author is extrapolating way too much from the limited facts at her disposal.
Winfrey’s report was made at 10:28, the autopsy started at 7:00. Winfrey, the Deputy Coroner, was reporting the results of the autopsy. Any additional information to support CA would come from the forensic lab results which were not received by the lab until dec. 20. They changed the cause of death on dec. 13 based on no new information. Plus lab results can’t prove CA unless it is genetic.
For medical records the preliminary cause of death is made at the time that death is declared. The preliminary cause of death and the final cause of death do not have to be the same thing.
For the meaningful use objective of “record demographics” for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, what documentation is required when recording the preliminary cause of death in the event of mortality?
Eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) must record in the patient’s EHR the clinical impression and preliminary assessment of the cause of death. No further documentation is required. This measure does not require the cause of death to be updated if the case is referred to the Department of Health or coroner’s office.
http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dma/provider/MU%20FAQs.pdf
I think you are right the preliminary cause of death by drowning was assigned on December 11 the day of the crash. The autopsy didn’t show evidence of drowning and in fact no obvious cause of death could be found. That’s how they came up with arrhythmia.
What makes no sense is if this was a conspiracy there would be no reason for them to change the preliminary cause of death. Drowning would have made perfect sense.
The grand conspiracy had to have started before the plane crashed. The medical examiner could have put down drowning, heart attack, cerebral hemorrhage or any damn thing they wanted. Who would question it? They could have pushed her under a steam roller and called it a heart attack because they are part of the conspiracy.