Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Wed Sep 27, 2017, 04:47 PM Sep 2017

U.S. student held in North Korea died of oxygen starved brain: Ohio coroner

Source: Reuters




SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 / 4:23 PM / UPDATED 21 MINUTES AGO

Suzannah Gonzales

(Reuters) - An American student imprisoned in North Korea for 17 months died from lack of oxygen and blood to the brain, according to an Ohio coroner’s report released on Wednesday.

Otto Warmbier’s death on June 19 was due to an unknown injury that occurred more than a year before his death, according to Hamilton County Coroner’s Office investigator John Hatfield and the coroner’s report dated Sept. 11.

The University of Virginia student was held by North Korea from January 2016 until his release on June 15. Warmbier, 22, returned to the United States in a coma.

Both the investigator and the coroner’s report cited complications of chronic deficiency of oxygen and blood supply to the brain in Warmbier’s death. Only an external examination of the body rather than a full autopsy was completed at the request of Warmbier’s family.


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-northkorea-detainee/u-s-student-held-in-north-korea-died-of-oxygen-starved-brain-ohio-coroner-idUSKCN1C22XM

9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
U.S. student held in North Korea died of oxygen starved brain: Ohio coroner (Original Post) DonViejo Sep 2017 OP
So incredibly sad, but at least all those months his family was Hortensis Sep 2017 #1
This message was self-deleted by its author MichMary Sep 2017 #2
His family is Jewish and that's why they requested no autopsy. yardwork Sep 2017 #3
Do coroners usually honor a "no-autopsy" request in a suspicious death? JustABozoOnThisBus Sep 2017 #5
Criminal activity by whom? The man was killed by a foreign country. yardwork Sep 2017 #6
Isn't murder a crime, regardless of who commits it? atreides1 Sep 2017 #8
Are you a medical doctor? yardwork Sep 2017 #9
If that had been the case the North Koreans would have said so. former9thward Sep 2017 #4
Conflicting info about what they found on his body... Equinox Moon Sep 2017 #7

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
1. So incredibly sad, but at least all those months his family was
Wed Sep 27, 2017, 04:58 PM
Sep 2017

tormented with worry he was not suffering, and they know it now.

His near-death body had apparently been very well cared for after whatever happened to him (in prison?), reportedly no skin ulcers even after a year in a coma. We'll likely never know what happened to him, and possibly to whoever caused "chronic deficiency of oxygen and blood supply to the brain."

Response to DonViejo (Original post)

yardwork

(61,408 posts)
3. His family is Jewish and that's why they requested no autopsy.
Wed Sep 27, 2017, 05:47 PM
Sep 2017

Last edited Wed Sep 27, 2017, 08:44 PM - Edit history (1)

Your suggestion that he committed suicide is, frankly, disgusting. There is zero evidence for this. No autopsy could possibly confirm or rule out exactly what caused the brain injury.

I hope that you will self-delete.

Edited: Thank you for self-deleting. I'm sorry that I was harsh.



JustABozoOnThisBus

(23,282 posts)
5. Do coroners usually honor a "no-autopsy" request in a suspicious death?
Wed Sep 27, 2017, 08:20 PM
Sep 2017

If there's suspicion of criminal activity, does that outweigh the religious wishes of surviving family members?

yardwork

(61,408 posts)
6. Criminal activity by whom? The man was killed by a foreign country.
Wed Sep 27, 2017, 08:39 PM
Sep 2017

North Korea isn't subject to U.S. laws about murder.

The man was injured while he was in the custody of North Korea. We could declare war on them. We could lodge a formal complaint. No autopsy would make a difference.

atreides1

(16,046 posts)
8. Isn't murder a crime, regardless of who commits it?
Thu Sep 28, 2017, 05:40 AM
Sep 2017

An autopsy would have provided more information!

yardwork

(61,408 posts)
9. Are you a medical doctor?
Thu Sep 28, 2017, 05:44 AM
Sep 2017

The coroner who examined his body said this:

Sammarco said she had conducted a “virtual autopsy” using extensive medical scanning and imaging, adding that a regular autopsy would have been of little use so long after Warmbier suffered brain damage.

former9thward

(31,802 posts)
4. If that had been the case the North Koreans would have said so.
Wed Sep 27, 2017, 05:48 PM
Sep 2017

It would have been a perfect excuse to hide their torture.

Equinox Moon

(6,344 posts)
7. Conflicting info about what they found on his body...
Wed Sep 27, 2017, 11:04 PM
Sep 2017

There is conflicting information about what happened to him in this article by The Guardian

...had showed signs of torture, including teeth that appeared to have been “rearranged” and hands and feet that were disfigured.

He said his son’s mouth “looked like someone had taken a pair of pliers and rearranged his bottom teeth”.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/28/otto-warmbier-torture-north-korea-coroner
Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»U.S. student held in Nort...