North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

Office of the Chief Medical Examiner

3025 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-3025
Telephone 919-743-9000
Fax 919-743-9099

REPORT OF AUTOPSY EXAMINATION

DECEDENT
Document Identifier
B201403308
Autopsy Type
ME Autopsy
Name
Lennon Lee Lacy
Age
17 yrs
Sex
M

AUTHORIZATION
Authorized By

Hubert C. Kinlaw

Received From

Bladen

ENVIRONMENT
08/30/2014
09:05
Date of Exam
Time of Exam
Autopsy Facility
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Persons Present
Rachel Murphy, Special Agent Chad Barefoot of NC SBI

Ms. Raven Sapp, Ms.

CERTIFICATION
Cause of Death
Asphyxia due to hanging
The facts stated herein are correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Digitally signed by
Deborah L. Radisch MD, MPH 12 October 2014 11:58

DIAGNOSES
Dried patterned abrasion around neck with upward
canting and suspension point inferior to right ear
Pulmonary congestion
Scattered petechial hemorrhages, bilateral
sclera and right lower conjunctiva of eyes
Small hemorrhage of soft tissue over right hyoid
bone
Biventricular hypertrophy, heart, slight
Coronary atherosclerosis, focally severe, left
anterior descending coronary artery

IDENTIFICATION
Body Identified By
Papers/ID Tag

EXTERNAL DESCRIPTION
Length
69 inches
Weight
207 pounds
Body Condition
Intact
Rigor
4+
Livor
None detected
Hair
Black - short. Slight beard and mustache present.
Eyes
Brown, congested-left greater than right.
Teeth
Natural.
The body is that of a well developed, well nourished young black man clothed in a pair of black socks, a
pair of navy blue nylon athletic pants, a navy blue nylon short sleeve shirt (logo "Bladen"), and a pair of
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blue/yellow/green Fruit of the Loom boxer shorts. The penis is circumcised. Valuables consist of two
purple rubber bracelets (March of Dimes) around the right wrist, and a rainbow colored rubber
bracelet encouraging fruits and vegetables around the left wrist. The hands are not bagged. The nails
are examined, and are short with no foreign material. Both earlobes are pierced, but no earrings are
present. The body and clothing show numerous red ants, and the body, especially the face, upper
chest, arms, and scrotum show multiple abrasions consistent with ant bites. There is a diagonal well
healed scar of the right lower quadrant of the abdomen. Striae are present over the bilateral groins. A
small scabbed lesion is present at the base of the posterior right 4th finger.

INJURIES
A sealed clear plastic bag accompanies the body in the body bag and this contains two web belts, one
royal blue and one black. The black belt has intermittent grommets, and the blue belt shows a double
D-ring buckle. One end of each of these belts has been cut, but a second cut end of each one is not
identified. The belts are photographed and replaced in the clear plastic bag, sealed with evidence tape,
and submitted as evidence.
Examination of the body shows no Tardieu spots. There are a few petechial hemorrhages of the inferior
conjunctiva of the right lower eyelid. The left eye shows a congested sclera. Following evisceration,
petechial hemorrhages are identified in the medial sclera of the right eye and of the lateral sclera of
the left eye. Photographs are obtained.
The tongue protrudes and its tip is discolored red-black and is dried.
The neck shows a dark dried abrasion completely encircling it. The anterior abrasion is present
superior to the thyroid cartilage. A buckle mark is present inferior to the right jaw as the abrasion
cants upward towards inferior to the right earlobe. The width of the abrasion is 1 1/2" on the right, 7/8"
anteriorly, 1 1/8" with a fabric web pattern on the left side, and 3/4" posteriorly. Several ant bites are
present within the more spared skin anteriorly.
Internal examination shows intact neck cartilaginous tissues. No strap muscle hemorrhages are
present. There is a small area of hemorrhage of the soft tissue overlying the right hyoid bone.

DISPOSITION OF CLOTHING AND PERSONAL EFFECTS

The following items are released with the body
None.
The following items are preserved as evidence
Blood card, noose, clothing (socks, pants, boxers, shirt) and bracelets received by Special Agent Chad
Barefoot of the NC SBI on August 30, 2014.

PROCEDURES
Radiographs
A full body postmortem radiograph shows no foreign materials consistent with weapons or projectiles.

INTERNAL EXAMINATION
Body Cavities
There are no unusual fluid accumulations or adhesions in any of the body cavities. The blood is slightly
hemolyzed and a small amount of staining of the intima of the arteries is present.
Cardiovascular System
Heart Weight
380 grams
The epicardial aspect is unremarkable. The valves are normally formed with delicate leaflets. The
chambers are not dilated and the walls are not hypertrophied. The wall of the right ventricle measures
7 mm in thickness and the left ventricle measures 15 mm in thickness. There are no myocardial scars
or other focal lesions. There is a right dominant coronary artery system with small coronary arteries
showing a very short segment of 80% stenosis of the lumen of the proximal to mid left anterior

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descending coronary artery. No other atherosclerotic plaques are identified. The aorta and its major
branches are intact and unremarkable.
Respiratory System
Right Lung Weight
650 grams
Left Lung Weight
600 grams
The hyoid bone is intact. There are no obstructing materials or lesions in the larynx. The pleural
surfaces of both lungs are smooth and glistening and the parenchyma of both lungs shows diffuse
moderate to severe congestion with no consolidation. The tracheobronchial tree contains a slight to
moderate amount of bloody pink froth.
Gastrointestinal System
The appendix is present. The esophagus is unremarkable and the stomach contains 3/4 cup of tan
liquid with small soft irregular pink pieces of well digested food. The small intestine is unremarkable
and the colon contains a moderate to large amount of green stool.
Liver
Liver Weight
1650 grams
The capsule is intact and the parenchyma is unremarkable. The gallbladder contains a small amount of
green-yellow bile and the extrahepatic biliary tree is patent.
Spleen
Spleen Weight
170 grams
The capsule is intact and the parenchyma is unremarkable.
Pancreas
Normal anatomic location and configuration.
Urinary
Right Kidney Weight
140 grams
Left Kidney Weight
170 grams
Both kidneys are similar. The cortical surfaces are smooth and the capsules strip with ease. The renal
architecture is intact without focal lesions. The ureters are patent and not dilated. The renal arteries
and veins are unremarkable. The bladder contains a very small amount (less than 5 cc) of slightly
cloudy yellow urine. The wall and mucosa are grossly unremarkable.
Reproductive
Normal adult male with non-nodular prostate gland.
Endocrine
The thyroid gland is bilobed and non-nodular.
Both adrenal glands are grossly unremarkable.
Neurologic
Brain Weight
1320 grams
The meninges are intact and there is no blood in any meningeal compartment. The cerebral gyral
pattern is fully developed. There is slight cerebral edema with no herniation. The vessels at the base of
the brain are thin and delicate. Multiple coronal sections reveal no gross abnormalities.
Skin
No scalp lacerations or contusions are present.
Immunologic System
The lymph nodes are unremarkable.
The thymus gland persists.
Musculoskeletal System
There are no skull, rib, or long bone fractures.

MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION
Microscopic Comment
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The tissue sections are processed to the level of blocks.

SUMMARY AND INTERPRETATION

The decedent was a 17-year-old young man who was found hanging from a swing set. It was reported
that he had been depressed over the recent death of his uncle.
Autopsy examination showed a dried abrasion encircling the neck with upward canting and a
suspension point inferior to the right lower ear and jaw. This was consistent with the cut noose
submitted with the body. A few petechial hemorrhages were present in the sclera of both eyes and of
the conjunctiva of the right lower eyelid. The tongue protruded and its tip was dried. One small
hemorrhage was present in the soft tissues over the right side of the hyoid bone in the neck. The lungs
showed diffuse moderate to severe congestion and pink froth in the tracheobronchial tree, and the
brain was slightly edematous. Incidental findings at the time of autopsy included hypertrophy of both
ventricles of the slightly enlarged heart and a very short severe stenosis of the proximal to mid left
anterior descending coronary artery caused by atherosclerotic plaque. An ethanol (alcohol)
concentration of blood obtained at the time of autopsy was negative, and no benzodiazepines, cocaine
metabolite, gabapentin/pregabalin, opiates/opioids, or organic bases were detected in the same blood
specimen. In my opinion, the cause of death in this case was due to asphyxia secondary to hanging.

DIAGRAMS
1. Adult (front/back)
2. Neck & shoulders

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