Pathologist Dr Eslyn Mc Donald-Burris was pulled yesterday from performing the autopsy of murder victim Joseph Logan at the Forensic Science Centre, St James.
Logan, 31, died after he was struck in the head during an argument at a bar in Malabar, Arima, early Sunday. Mc Donald-Burris was instead replaced by forensic pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov.
A police report said the family lime at the bar ended in tragedy after the boyfriend of a female police officer intervened in a fight between Logan and his common-law wife.
The move by officials of the centre to stop Mc Donald-Burris from conducting the post mortem came in light of a pre-action protocol letter sent to the centre by attorney Gerald Ramdeen on Tuesday.
Logan’s mother, Susan Paul, is challenging the decision to allow Dr Mc Donald-Burris to perform the autopsy on her son. She has retained Ramdeen to represent her.
The letter was sent to director of the Forensic Science Centre, Glen Parmesar, and copied to Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon and Mc Donald-Burris.
In an interview yesterday, Ramdeen questioned Mc Donald-Burris’ qualifications as a pathologist to determine cause and manner of death, which is the remit of a qualified forensic pathologist.
“My client have been informed that the assigned person to perform the autopsy in this matter is Dr Eslyn Mc Donald-Burris.
“It is clear from the instructions of my clients and the facts of this case as have been revealed as to how the deceased met his death that this matter will be subject of further proceedings,” Ramdeen said in the letter to Parmesar.
“Dr Burris is an employee of the Ministry of National Security and the decision to allow her to perform the autopsy in the case of the deceased is in my respectful view one susceptible to challenge by way of judicial review,” Ramdeen said. He said to determine cause of death was the remit of a qualified forensic pathologist.
Ramdeen then made the request that another qualified pathologist be assigned to perform the autopsy, failing which, he would act on his clients instructions to proceed to the High Court to challenge the decision to allow Burris to perform the autopsy. Ramdeen said Logan met his death in a very unnatural circumstances.
“It is reported that he met his death at the hands of a number of police officers and or in the presence of a number of police officers, Ramdeen said. He said at the time of Logan’s death he shared a common-law relationship with a female police officer, who is a sergeant.
Ramdeen claimed there were supporting documents to question McDonald-Burris’ qualifications as a qualified forensic pathologist. He said the Forensic Science Centre responded to his letter and a response regarding Mc Donald-Burris’ qualifications would be given in due course.
Efforts to reach current Medical Board of T&T secretary, Dr Nathaniel Duke, for comment were unsuccessful. Questions sent to him via email were not answered up to late yesterday.
Also, efforts to reach Dillon for comment were futile. Questions sent to the Director of Communications at the Ministry, Marcia Hope, were received and she said she would have tried to get them to the minister. However, up to late yesterday there was no response.
Parmesar also could not be reached for comment as calls to his office phone went unanswered.