Richard Simmons‘ demise was dominated unintentional, attributable to the “blunt traumatic accidents” he sustained in a fall.
However the health guru’s remaining days have been shrouded in thriller since his post-mortem report revealed he had scrapes and bruises throughout his physique, in addition to a damaged leg, when he died the day after his 76th birthday.
In response to readers in search of readability on the disturbing particulars within the report, RadarOnline.com spoke with an knowledgeable who reviewed the health worker’s findings and supplied his perspective on the puzzling case.
Simmons, who disappeared from the general public eye in 2014 after a affluent profession as a TV health teacher, was discovered lifeless at his Hollywood Hills dwelling on July 13.
The Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Workplace launched the post-mortem report on August 29, ruling the accidents Simmons sustained in a “floor degree fall” on an “unknown date” have been the major explanation for his demise. Coronary coronary heart illness was additionally listed as a contributing situation.
Together with an illustration displaying the accidents protecting Simmons from head to toe, the report acknowledged: “There are a number of abrasions and contusions [scrapes and bruises] on the physique.”
He additionally had a “palpable fracture” to his left femur – which means his thighbone was damaged.
Dr. Ron Graeser, a retired forensic pathologist who has labored as a health worker in three Michigan counties, doesn’t imagine these accidents have been extreme sufficient to have killed Simmons. He is positive the small print within the post-mortem report level to a pure demise from coronary heart illness.
Simmons had “horrible coronary arteries”, Dr. Graeser stated, and subsequently “extreme, extreme, coronary artery sclerosis”.
He famous the report confirmed one artery was 80% blocked and one other was 70% blocked, calling these “horrible numbers”.
Dr. Graeser instructed us: “When it is that dangerous, you’ll very often have nausea, you may need ache to your neck and the jaw, however you’ll positively really feel upset so far as the intestines go, and very often, individuals will throw up.”
The knowledgeable supplied his concept on Simmons’ grim final moments, saying: “So he is in mattress, and he received nauseated and threw up. That is why there’s a few of this brown fluid on the mattress and the ground.”
He suspects Simmons then received away from bed to throw up within the toilet, and, on his means again to mattress, fell and broke his femur.
“It is common to interrupt there, particularly in older individuals,” he defined, “The bones get weak and brittle and you may simply be strolling, possibly twist it a bit unsuitable, and increase, snap.
“So then he is on the ground, and it’s totally exhausting to maneuver with a damaged hip. the ache can be horrendous. And he threw up some on the ground.”
Dr. Graeser continued: “So he is mendacity there…and his coronary heart gave out,” including: “I believe he died shortly.”
As for the accidents on the physique, the medical skilled stated: “It isn’t sufficient locations to kill you. The accidents which might be proven don’t kill. For example, the fracture to the femur. You do not die from a fracture to the femur.”
The post-mortem report confirmed an abrasion on Simmons’ brow and a contusion on his scalp, however Dr. Graeser stated: “These are nothing. If I stumble upon a cupboard I get that a lot.”
He went on: “If in case you have accidents which might be deadly, as an illustration on the pinnacle, then there can be bleeding within the mind. After they opened the pinnacle, there was no bleeding in any respect within the mind. After they opened the chest, nothing. After they opened the stomach, nothing.
“These are the sorts of traumatic accidents you die from. You do not die from getting hit on the elbow or the opposite issues.”
Dr. Graeser additionally stated the scrapes and bruises have been “in all probability precipitated when he bumped in opposition to issues”.
He defined: “When he lastly broke his femur, he in all probability fell, and that actually provides an abrasion and contusion.
“, you are not feeling excellent while you’re having a coronary heart assault and also you’re vomiting. So I can effectively think about that he stumbled into issues.”
When requested if he thinks Simmons may have sustained all of the accidents in a single fall, the physician replied: “Effectively, I do not know for those who’d get all of them, as a result of they’re throughout his physique.
“But when he fell in opposition to the door jamb, after which fell right into a chair after which onto the ground, proper there you have received three accidents or extra.”
In the end, nonetheless, Dr. Graeser concluded there have been “not sufficient accidents there to account for him being lifeless”.
He stated it may be difficult to detect a coronary heart assault as a result of “if the center assault occurs and also you die quickly, you actually do not discover a lot in post-mortem and even within the microscope”.
Once we introduced Dr. Graeser’s concept to the LA Medical Examiner’s Workplace, a spokesperson wrote in an emailed response: “The County of Los Angeles Division of Medical Examiner stands by its remaining willpower in Mr. Simmons’ case.”
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