No Clear Answers On Phoenix Airport Death

First Autopsy For Carol Anne Gotbaum Deemed Inconclusive; Family Considers Suing Phoenix Police

(CBS/AP)  A private investigator observing an autopsy of a woman who died after being detained at the Phoenix airport said bruises were scattered across her body, indicating there was a struggle, an attorney for the woman's family said.

The autopsy conducted Tuesday on Carol Anne Gotbaum was inconclusive, and toxicology results needed to determine a cause of death will not be available for a few weeks, a county medical examiner said.

Gotbaum's family accuses police of manhandling the New York woman when they arrested her Friday. They have hired the private investigator, an attorney to monitor the police investigation and a pathologist who performed a second autopsy Tuesday night.

Authorities have said Gotbaum, who was handcuffed and shackled to a bench, may have accidentally strangled herself Friday. David Boyer, the acting director of the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office, would not say whether the official autopsy supports or refutes that theory.

"The doctor in this case is waiting for all testing to be done before she would rule on the cause and manner" of death, Boyer said. He said it will be a few weeks before toxicology tests are completed on Gotbaum, who was arrested for disorderly conduct after she was kept off a flight at Sky Harbor International Airport.

Michael Manning, who was hired by the family to monitor the police investigation, said the private investigator who watched the official autopsy said numerous bruises were scattered across Gotbaum's body.

"The body shows signs of a struggle," Manning said. "There are ligature marks, and some of those ligature marks match the chain that they used to chain her to the bench."

"I don't think these police treated her like she was a woman that was emotionally disturbed," Manning told CBS' The Early Show co- anchor Harry Smith. "They didn't treat her like a sick person, and they didn't treat her like somebody that needed help. They treated her like a criminal or like a terrorist."

Manning said renowned forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht, whom the family hired to conduct the second autopsy, was "going to prepare his report and get back with us in a week or so."

Gotbaum, 45, was on her way to an alcohol treatment program in Tucson when police stopped her. Authorities said she was late for a flight and became angry when a gate crew wouldn't let her on the plane.

Officers handcuffed Gotbaum behind her back, shackled her to a bench and left her alone in a detention room. Police said she was later found unconscious and not breathing with the chain from the shackle pulled against the front of her neck. It appeared that Gotbaum got tangled as she tried to manipulate the handcuffs from behind her to the front, police said.

Police spokesman Sgt. Andy Hill said officers followed established policy while detaining Gotbaum. Police also said their procedures for arresting someone at the airport haven't changed since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The Phoenix Police Department's Professional Standards Bureau is conducting an internal investigation, a standard procedure following an in-custody death.

Manning said Gotbaum started drinking heavily about three years ago, and her family noticed a serious problem with alcoholism about a year ago, Manning said. He said she left her three children with her husband, Noah, and headed to Tucson to get better.

"When she landed in Phoenix, she talked with her husband," Manning said. "She said, `I want to do this for us. I want to do this for our kids. I'm committed to this. I'm so happy....' Everything was going swimmingly well when she landed."

Manning said he's still interviewing witnesses and the family hasn't decided whether to sue Phoenix police.

[erasmus6]

retmilspouse

I just figured that if the woman was double jointed, which she would probably would have had to have been, people would probably know about it. People have been saying that they tried it and they can''t see that it could be done. Of course she could have done what no other could do but I figured if you test it on a person, or two or three, you could at least see if it was possible. If they can''t even come close to doing it, it probably is unlikely. But if they do come close then maybe she could have.

Maybe they should get someone that is double jointed to try it.

Considering that there were no cameras in that room, unless the autopsy can prove that the cops did something to her, they pretty well have to take their word for what happened. Surely by putting different people in that situation they should be able to tell if it is at all possible.

[retmilspouse]

GrammaWhamma,
You are totally correct about the bruising. I think crzmeat is one of those folks who believe that law enforcement officers are always bad and if something happens to you at a medical facility there is fault with that profession as well. Like there is some conspiracy within those organizations. Many people have those same feelings about the military. They always want to believe the worst of those professions for some reason. I choose to believe that they are out to do good for the general public but that sometimes things do not work out as perfect as anyone would hope. Things happen situations get out of hand and the people you are trying to save just slip through your fingers. That is why there is such a high divorce rate and depression with people in those types of jobs.

[Krazcarl]

Gramma Your back peddling and your dislike for our alcholic brethren is showing. Any nurse will tell you there are 2 kinds bleeding hearts and cold hearts. If in fact you are a nurse you have been doing so a long time and have become very cynical and cold a common occurrance in the profession one reason I got out.

[grammawhamma]

And I stand by my post. I am a RN who worked with alcoholics. Just her thrashing around while resisting would have bruised her. Yes, I agree with you that she was trying to turn her life around...she did not die on purpose.

[Krazcarl]

Gramma yes if your skid row and don''t have access to chow and they just don''t appear or a van would be taking her to the hospital she may bruse easlier but they wouldn''t just appear, this is one topic I''m well versed in worked a treatment facility why I have a better grasp of went on than others who want to be judgemental she was attempting to salvage her life not to die.I smell very big ugly rats period and stand by my post.

[grammawhamma]

crzmeat: Since you were an LPN you should know that alcohol abuse causes abnormal blood clotting. Google it if you don''t believe me.

[Krazcarl]

I have never heard such rambling luacy in my life with 0 compasion that is why this happens you all have give the police a free hand. Love the why didn''t a family member acompany her they probably wanted to show they trusted her plus she would have been in for at least 30 days, She was an alcholic not a *** means when she starts it''s hard to stop. Any man over 10 has delt with an agitated woman never fun but never had to chain one to a table. This was important to her to make her family proud she most likely felt she let them down and if she missed the flight thought they may not believe her hence agitation then when they chained her to a table she thought if she could get there attention and convince them she wasn''t a terrorist it would be over {they throw you in a holding cell they don''t care my guess is they got sick of it and abused her. The drinking caused the bruises untrue if she was on blood thinners or eating asperins like m+ms. Except for a couple of post the rest of you are cold blooded and have no grasp of reality. That woman was abused period and it cost her, her very life I don''t find that amusing or her fault.

[retmilspouse]

erasmus6,
Are you trying to use to OJ "If it doesn''t fit, you must aquit" theory? That is absurd. You do not know what her physical abilities are. She may have been able to put her arms over her head front or back. You cannot expect everyones body to react the same way to a certain situation.

[erasmus6]

I say that before any decision is made, that they take a police officer into that room and handcuff him the same way, to the table, and see if he can get himself in the same exact position she was in when they found her. If he can''t, you have your answer.

[grammawhamma]

Alcoholics bruise very easily...the bruises prove nothing. I agree with those posters who said a family member or friend should have accompanied this woman. Sad thing to have happened to her...may she rest in peace now.

[retmilspouse]

It''s so easy for the family, a well connected, politically motivated and affluent family to lay the blame on everyone else but themselves. Of course she was so happy, committed and doing it for the family. That''s what chemical dependency does to you. You always tell people what they want to hear when the hammer is coming down on you. Then you get back in their good graces and fall off the wagon again. Seems as if she had already fallen before she even got on the wagon. I am sorry that she is dead but I don''t think the airport security police is to blame for the poor woman''s misfortune. The did not know she was mentally unstable. And if she was not, what''s the reason for her violent actions?

[hwy71so]

Its just a sad situation all the way around. Hard to deal with the unknown. How were the officers to know she was having social/mental problems? They didn''t. I''m sure they would have dealt with it differently.

[candy-apple]

Her family. They were aware of her behavior and let her go alone. They should also be held accountable.


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Posted by tina7508 at 11:41 AM : Oct 03, 2007

It''s so much easier to blame everyone else for this incident. No one wants to take responsibility for their own actions anymore. Like others, I''m curious as to why her family didn''t have someone traveling with her. If that were that concerned about her well being they should''ve sent someone with her.
Police/Security personnel have enough responsibility without being asked to play "Doctor" also. It''s not their job to "diagnose" an irate passenger as being mentally deficient, an alcoholic, a jerk, or just a plain A##.

[tina7508]

If she was so sick, as the family claimed, shouldn''t a family member or friend have accompanied her on the long flight cross country? The family should take responsibility for letting a sick person travel alone. If she had a travel companion this probably wouldn''t have happened. How was anyone to know she was a sick person? Someone should have been there for her. Her family. They were aware of her behavior and let her go alone. They should also be held accountable.

[hwy71so]

"I don''t think these police treated her like she was a woman that was emotionally disturbed," Manning told CBS'' The Early Show co- anchor Harry Smith. "They didn''t treat her like a sick person, and they didn''t treat her like somebody that needed help. They treated her like a criminal or like a terrorist."

How does he expect them to treat her. She was unaccompanied awaiting a flight. Sounds like normalcy to me. Treat her like a normal person would be treated and as she was disruptive in her actions, they subdued her. SOP.