Medical examiner quits after declaring that bloody, stabbed corpse had died of "natural causes"

Shannon Byers was an investigator with the Gwinnett County (Georgia) Medical Examiner's office, until this week, when she resigned after news got out that a body whose death she had declared to be of "natural causes" had been found in a bloody murder-scene with a stab wound to the neck.

Ray Neal, 61, was found in a bedroom of his home, surrounded by blood, with blood throughout the scene. When Neal's body was released to a funeral home, they discovered a stab wound in Neal's neck. This triggered an autopsy that found the cause of death to be murder by stabbing.

Byers has since resigned. The County is advertising for a new medical examiner to take her place.

According to the police report, Byers examined Neals body and determined the cause of death to be natural. The report stated Byers released the body to Byrd and Flanagan Funeral home. But the report explained, once at the funeral home, an employee noticed a hole in Neals neck. Thats when the Neals body was returned to the morgue where a further autopsy determined he had been murdered, the medical examiners office confirmed to FOX 5 News.

Gwinnett County ME investigator resigns after misinterpreted autopsy [Fox 5 News]

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