Two St. Johns County medical examiners could be disciplined for how they handled the Michelle O’Connell death investigation.
In 2010, O’Connell was found dead in the home of her boyfriend, a St. Johns County deputy. Investigators ruled her death a suicide, but her family never believed that.
The state medical examiners commission found probable cause the doctors violated policies.
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A panel found probable cause that assistant medical examiner Dr. Frederick Hobin kept some of O’Connell’s investigative and autopsy findings at his house and didn't incorporate them into the official case file.
Action News Jax law and safety expert Dale Carson agrees with the committee’s recommendation that there needs to be a clear directive to keep all medical examiner documents in the office.
"They need to update some of their systems and requirements," Carson said.
The committee found probable cause that Hobin did not properly document O’Connell’s broken jaw in the autopsy report.
Carson says this is the most significant finding.
"This wouldn't affect just one case. This may affect multiple cases. So behavior of leaving evidence out of a report is an important failure," Carson said.
Dr. Predag Bulic is accused of showing a private investigator autopsy photos without permission from O’Connell’s family. O’Connell’s sister sent Action News Jax this statement in response:
"Showing autopsy photos of a deceased families loved one is against the law. The complete disregard for the law was an embarrassment to his profession, as was Dr. Bulic's circus performance on 'Frontline: A Death in St Augustine.' That's why it resulted in probable cause and levied sanctions by the Commissions Panel."
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It's important to note the family filed the complaints and so did that private investigator; he complained about medical examiner autopsy photos.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the initial investigators in this case, released the following statement to Action News Jax:
“The Sheriff’s Office does not provide, as a general practice, commentary regarding record keeping or procedural issues not occurring within our organization. The one issue of relevance for our community however, is that the panel cited the ‘Medical Examiner’s Office had conducted a thorough investigation into the death of Michelle O’Connell.’ The manner of her death remains unchanged.”
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