A forensic pathologist has concluded that Lachlan Jones, a 3-year-old boy found unresponsive in the Gore District Council oxidation pond on 29 January 2019.
Two police investigations found the boy accidentally drowned, but his father, Paul Jones, did not accept this and told the coroner during the first phase of the inquest in May that officers botched the case.
The inquest entered its second phase this week, entering its second phase. Dr Judy Melinek, who previously worked to identify victims of the 9/11 terror attacks, was asked to review the findings of the pathologist who initially determined Lachlan drowned.
During the three-week-long first phase inquest, Paul’s lawyer, Max Simpkins, advanced the theory that Lachlan’s mother, Michelle Officer, and her two older sons killed the boy before storing his body in a freezer and then dumping it in the sewage pond.
At that inquest, the pathologist who carried out the post-mortem examination said it would have been easy to identify if he had been put in a freezer, and Lachlan’s body showed no signs of that. He found nothing suspicious or surprising during his exam.
Dr Melinek agreed a forensic autopsy should have taken place, but even in its absence, there was enough evidence to conclude Lachlan drowned safely. She stated that the scene investigation by police and the post-mortem examination indicate with reasonable medical certainty that Lachlan Jones died from drowning.
There is no evidence of physical abuse to indicate that this death was intentionally inflicted. The autopsy pathologist’s decision to perform a lesser post-mortem examination was made out of deference to New Zealand cultural practices, and he was unfortunately not notified of any suspicious circumstances by the police or coroner that would have caused him to decline the case.
Retired American crime scene investigator Karen Smith aimed the New Zealand Police, their narrative, and the evidence of Lachlan’s mother while giving evidence on Wednesday afternoon.
She dismissed the recollection of Deborah Thurston, a neighbor of Lachlan and his mother, and argued that the results and available information do not support the reported circumstances. After Lachlan’s immediate recovery, she deferred to a forensic pathologist for further determination and a conclusive opinion about the lack of a foam cone and water.
Click to read more about New Zealand
