Abuse Allegations to be Investigated

Washington Post, Feb. 23 -- The administration of Gov. Jeb Bush, already forcefully rebuked by the Florida Supreme Court for trying to override judicial orders and block the removal of a brain-damaged woman's feeding tubes, launched itself back into the case Wednesday by asking for a delay to investigate abuse allegations.

The surprise request by Florida's Department of Children and Families to intervene in the case of Terri Schiavo stirred an already emotional atmosphere. A woman broke with courtroom decorum and called out "Amen" when an attorney for Schiavo's parents, who are trying to stop her husband from removing the feeding tubes, announced in Pinellas County Circuit Court that the department has asked for a delay.

While the Post labels the events as a "legal maneuver" there are concrete reasons why the suspicious circumstances surrounding Terri's "incident" should be investigated.

For example, although Terri's brain injuries were thought to have resulted from heart failure,

Dr. William Hammesfahr, a world renowned neurologist wrote a complete report concerning the Schiavo case in September, 2002, revealing that medical tests conducted after her collapse did not show evidence of a heart attack.  In the emergency room, a possible diagnosis of heart attack was briefly entertained but then dismissed after blood chemistries and serial EKG's did not show evidence of a heart attack. ( Complete Report of Dr. William Hammesfahr)   Dr. Hammesfahr testified that she had sustained injuries consistent with abuse.

A bone scan, conducted in 1991 and hidden until 2002, revealed the following:

The bone scan report completed in March, 1991 by Dr. Campbell Walker was done to "evaluate for trauma " that may have been caused by a suspected "closed head injury". Walker wrote that "this patient has a history of trauma. The presumption is that the other multiple areas of trauma also relates to previous trauma". He listed apparent injuries to Terri to the ribs, thoracic vertebrae, both sacroiliac joints, both ankles and both knees.

Soure: The Perfect Murder and Empire Journal on Michael Schiavo.