Coroner: Boy died of internal bleeding at boot camp

By MELISSA NELSON
Associated Press Writer
PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- A teenager at a state-run boot camp died from a blood disorder and not from any injuries he may have suffered after a confrontation with guards, a medical examiner reported Thursday.

Martin Lee Anderson's family contends he died from injuries suffered in a confrontation with guards.

Anderson suffered internal bleeding because he had sickle cell trait, a disorder that caused his red blood cells to change shape and produce "a whole cascade of events" that led to hemorrhaging, said Bay County Medical Examiner Dr. Charles Siebert.

"It was a natural death," Siebert said. "The trait caused red blood cells to sickle and change shape, causing a whole cascade of events that led to bleeding and hemorrhaging."

However, there was no indication on the facility's intake form that the youth or his family were aware of the disorder that affects about one of every eight African Americans, Siebert said. The sickle cell disorder would not show up in routine bloodwork, he said.

"Unbelievable," said state Rep. Gus Barreiro, a Miami Beach Republican who chairs the House Criminal Justice Appropriations Committee. "It still does not justify the type of treatment this kid received in this boot camp."

Siebert said there were some bruises and abrasions on the body, but he attributed them to attempts to resuscitate the youth.

The autopsy was also met with skepticism by the Anderson family's attorney.

"The medical examiner said he died from internal bleeding," Tallahassee attorney Benjamin Crump said. "One thing we do know is that damage to his internal organs wasn't caused from this alleged sickle cell trait."

A videotape that allegedly shows guards beating Anderson will be made public Friday by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in response to a lawsuit brought by The Miami Herald and CNN.

Barreiro and Rep. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, viewed the tape last week of the events leading to the youth's death.

"He was so limp and not about to go anywhere and you see a guard punching his arm, a knee to the back of the leg to knock him back down to the ground and choking him," Barreiro said.

There were also some minor cuts behind Anderson's ears, possibly as a result of efforts by guards to gain control of the youth, Siebert said. No drugs were discovered by the autopsy.

Anderson died Jan. 6 at a Pensacola hospital where he was taken from the Panama City camp where he had become uncooperative and was restrained by guards, according to the Bay County sheriff's office. The 14-year-old boy's mother, Gina Jones, contends that her son was murdered by guards who beat him to death.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Justice Department said it has opened an investigation into the death.

The investigation will focus on whether Anderson's rights were violated through use of excessive force or "indifference to serious medical need" by guards at the camp, said U.S. Attorney Gregory R. Miller of Tallahassee.

Last modified: February 16. 2006 10:13PM

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