Coroner Says Lack Of Neuropathologists Delayed Results Of Modesto Toddler's Autopsy
MODESTO (CBS13) — Questions continue to swirl around the deaths of three children and two adults in Modesto and the man named as a suspect in the case.
Two days before Saturday's gruesome murders, the Modesto Police Department received the results of Christopher Ripley's autopsy, saying the 2-year-old boy's October death was caused by his head striking a tile floor.
Officers arrested Martinez on Sunday outside a San Jose movie theater for Ripley's death, but he's also suspected of killing two adults and three children inside a Modesto home on Saturday.
"Certain cases, unique or challenging cases, maybe an intracranial injury with a child, we need a specialist to assist us in those cases," said Sgt. Ed Ridenour.
The Stanislaus County Sheriff's office has a full-time forensic pathologist, but the coroner's office says the small child's fatal injury was complex. In the Modesto Police warrant, Martinez allegedly told detectives Ripley accidentally hit his head on the floor while playing.
The sheriff's office called Dr. Michelle Jordan, a neuropathologist at Santa Clara County Medical Services for help.
"Unfortunately, a specialist in neuropathology are few and far between in the state of California," Ridenour said.
They had used Dr. Jordan before and only know of one other neuropathologist working in Sacramento County.
"They're about the closest we have in this area. There are no other in the area that I'm aware of," he said.
At Monday's press conference, Police Chief Galen Carroll said part of the nine month delay was to hire a neuropathologist. The coroner's office says otherwise.
"We enlisted the services of Dr. Jordan in October of 2014," Ridenour said.
He says it's not unusual for a year-long investigation when the victim is a child.
"There's a lot of detail, a lot of investigation they need to complete. It's not unusual at all for a case to take this long," he said.
The coroner's office says it doesn't not have a backlog of cases, but that Jordan did have other cases she was working on in Santa Clara County.
