The second autopsy on Martin Lee Anderson, the 14-year-old Florida boy who died at a juvenile boot camp, shows that he died of suffocation. A videotape showing guards at the boot camp beating Anderson shortly before he died sent shock waves throughout the country.
A different medical examiner had claimed that Anderson died from complications of a sickle cell trait in his blood. The boy's family has challenged that conclusion.
'Martin Anderson's death was caused by suffocation due to actions of the guards at the boot camp,' said Dr. Vernard Adams, who conducted the second autopsy.
According to Dr. Adams, the suffocation was most likely caused by hands blocking Anderson's mouth and the 'forced inhalation of ammonia fumes' that caused his vocal cords to spasm and block his upper airway.
Anderson was beaten, kneed and dragged by guards on his first day at the boot camp on January 5. He died one day later at a Pensacola hospital.
His death led to the resignation of Florida's top law enforcement officer and the closure of many boot camp-style facilities.
A lawsuit and further investigations are almost certain to follow.
