Terri autopsy report to answer, questions regarding her death

The fight continues, long after the death of Terri Schiavo, between her parents and her husband.

Terri Schiavo’s parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, and her husband, Michael Schiavo, spent Friday planning separate funerals for the 41-year-old brain-damaged woman, who died Thursday, 13 days after her feeding tube was removed.

The Schindlers have scheduled a funeral Mass for Tuesday in Gulfport. Michael Schiavo’s family said he plans to take the cremated remains to Pennsylvania, where Terri Schiavo grew up.

Her ashes will be buried in an undisclosed location near Philadelphia, prevent her immediate family from attending the event and turning it into a media spectacle, according to Scott Schiavo, Michael’s brother.

Terri’s parents and siblings wanted to bury her body in Florida so they can visit her grave.

David Gibbs, the Schindlers’ attorney, said there have been no further discussions between Michael Schiavo and the Schindlers about their daughter’s remains. The Schindlers do not plan to press the issue in court, he said.
“The court has already determined that (Michael Schiavo) will control the burial decisions,” Gibbs said.

The autopsy by a medical examiner will provide answers about Schiavo’s medical condition and her state of consciousness for the last 15 years, the major point of contention between Michael Schiavo and the Schindlers. Autopsy results are expected within a few weeks.

Mr Schiavo had requested the autopsy to show the extent of brain injuries sustained when Mrs Schiavo lapsed into a coma after her heart stopped beating temporarily in 1990.

The report will also throw light about the truth of abuse allegations made against Michael Schiavo by Terri’s parents, the Schindlers, and her siblings.

The medical examiner’s office said the results from the autopsy, which was completed Friday, would not be released for several weeks.