Drug Overdose May Have Killed Anguilla Resort Employee, New Exam Suggests

Updated medical findings indicate Kenny Mitchel, the worker who died after a clash with a U.S. tourist in Anguilla, had enough cocaine in his body to have died from it alone.

Drug Overdose May Have Killed Anguilla Resort Employee, New Exam Suggests

Fresh medical findings in the case of a hotel hand who died following a run-in with an American holidaymaker in Anguilla point to a narcotic overdose as a possible cause of death, raising new doubts about the manslaughter charge against the visitor.

Kenny Mitchel, a 27-year-old from Dominica who worked upkeep at the Malliouhana resort, perished on April 13 inside a room rented by Gavin Scott Hapgood, a 44-year-old money manager from Darien, Connecticut. Police on the British Overseas Territory later booked Hapgood on a manslaughter count.

A second look at Mitchel's remains, completed September 3 and reviewed by The New York Times, was led by Dr. Stephen King. His assessment concluded that a severe reaction to cocaine might have been enough to end Mitchel's life regardless of other factors, CNN reported.

That conclusion stands in contrast to the first medical examiner's opinion from April, which pinned the death on being held face-down in a way that blocked breathing. That original document also noted bruising and trauma to the head, chest, and stomach area, according to remarks by Randy Dick, a spokesman for the island's constabulary.

Hapgood's defenders brought in their own specialist to weigh the new data. Dr. David R. Fowler, who heads Maryland's forensic medical examiner's office, found the drug traces were double the threshold typically viewed as deadly. He described the readings as deep within the zone considered lethal, CNN reported.

With these results in hand, Hapgood's lawyer Juliya Arbisman pressed for the case to be dropped. She told CNN there are pressing questions about why authorities are still pursuing her client given what she called conclusive proof that drugs may have been the real killer.

Hapgood's side has consistently said Mitchel showed up at their quarters without being asked and that a scuffle broke out. Exactly what transpired inside the room remains unclear.

The news network said it is still pressing local officials to release the full updated report.

Source: Google News AI — Crime