The family of former swimming champion Jamie Cail, who died of an alleged fentanyl overdose in the US Virgin Islands, claims he was beaten – and his death was no accident.
Local police said the 42-year-old woman, who was originally from New Hampshire, allegedly died of “fentanyl intoxication by aspiration of gastric contents,” meaning particles from her stomach entered her lungs.
But Cail’s family disputed the finding that his death was “accidental.”
“We know that Jamie did not ingest the fentanyl on purpose. There must have been foul play,” Jessica DeVries, who identified herself as a cousin and family representative, told Insider.
The family shared graphic photos of Cail’s body with news outlets that showed her left eye badly bruised and marks on her nose.
“His face was hit. Did fentanyl do that to him?” Devries told Insider. “Jamie’s face was crushed, the top of his skull and his nose.”
Police said he died of “fentanyl intoxication with aspiration of gastric contents.” Family Distribution
He said the family “decided to release the photo because we need everyone to understand that Jamie was not a fentanyl user — that he was actually beaten.”
Devries ripped the official findings as “atrocity”, insisting that a photo taken of Cail’s body by a family relation in March after the autopsy showed that “someone put their hands on Jamie.”
Virgin Islands police, who cited the Aug. 22 autopsy, and the medical examiner’s office did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
The family says autopsy photos show evidence of a brutal beating.Facebook / Gary Cail
Former New York City chief medical examiner Michael Baden told the outlet that the photos showed “trauma” that occurred before Cail died, but said it was not “definitive evidence of beating or cause of death.”
The injuries may have resulted from “a blow to the eye or a blow to the scalp” and “could have occurred in a number of different ways,” the forensic pathologist said.
Police cited an Aug. 22 autopsy report from the Virgin Islands medical examiner.
Cail’s boyfriend, who has not been identified, found her on the floor of their home on February 21 after she returned from a bar around midnight, according to police.
Cail died of an accidental fentanyl overdose, according to authorities in the US Virgin Islands.Getty Images
He and a friend took him to the Myrah Keating-Smith Community Health Center but he could not be saved.
“We want transparency and we want justice,” DeVries told Insider, adding that the family felt “totally failed” by the police.
“Jamie is not a fentanyl user or an opioid user of any kind. He does not use drugs,” he said. “He’s a national, international swimmer who deserves that honor because he’s amazing and dedicated his life to it.”
Cail is widely regarded as a swimming miracle.Facebook / Jamie Cail
Cail won a gold medal in the 800 free relay as part of the US team at the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships.
During the 1998-99 Swimming World Cup in Brazil, he took home silver in the 800 free as a member of the US Swimming National B Team.
Cail also won the California high school championships in the 200-meter individual medley and 500 free. He also swam at the University of Southern California and the University of Maine
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
