From the March 2004 Idaho Observer:

State discredits autopsy in Yurko SBS case

Dear Attorney General Crist: Why is this man still doing life + 10 in a Florida prison?

Those who have been following the story of Alan Yurko know that this man has orchestrated, from prison, one of the most effective legal challenges to key facets of organized medicine's most fundamental betrayals of the public trust: Routine childhood vaccinations and the booming dead baby parts industry. With the help of a growing cast of supporters comprising an international who's who of experts, activists, laypeople, reporters, editors and public health officials, the “Yurko Project” has forced the state of Florida to admit that one of its state medical examiners botched the autopsy that convicted Yurko of shaking his baby to death. The Florida medical examiner's commission has barred Orange/Osceola County Medical Examiner Shashi Gore from conducting any more autopsies and stated they would fire him if he wasn't retiring in June, 2004. The state of Florida has discredited Gore's autopsy in the Yurko matter. That autopsy is the chief evidence the state has against Yurko. Yurko, on the other hand, has hundreds of pages of evidence proving that contraindicated administration of vaccines and an overdose of heparin caused his two-month old baby to die. Why, then, is Alan Yurko still in prison? In 1998 Alan Yurko was sentenced to serve life plus 10 years in a Florida prison as a cover for the medical malpractice and vaccine-induced injuries that caused the death of his infant son.

Charles Crist, Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General
State of Florida
The Capitol PL-01
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050

Re: Alan Yurko vs. The State

Case No. CR99-1798

Dear Attorney General Crist:

On 29 November 1997 at 10:15 A.M., Orange/Osceola County Medical Examiner Shashi B. Gore, MD performed an autopsy on Alan Ream Yurko, wherein he determined the cause of death to be subdural hematoma (SDH) due to “shaken baby syndrome” (SBS), and the manner, a homicide. Since Mr. Yurko's conviction, considerable vindicating evidence has arisen. Especially pertinent is the Complaint about Dr. Gore sent by Alan and Francine Yurko to the Florida Medical Examiners Commission in May 2003: www.freeyurko.bizland.com/gorecompl.html.

You are urged to review the specifications of the Complaint, which contains 25 itemized points (attached), including the fact that, after the criminal trial, Dr. Gore altered his autopsy report without notice to the courts or the other parties involved, and thus altered evidence in criminal proceedings.

Furthermore, Dr. Gore testified that he did not seek or review the medical history of the decedent, which would have revealed a severe hospital overdose of the anticoagulant heparin in a contraindicated setting. CT scans revealed that the fatal hemorrhages occurred while Alan Ream Yurko was in the hospital. The evidence proves that the cause of death could not have been SBS but resulted from over-heparinization (among other things) at 8.8 times maximum recommended dose for a healthy infant. And the Yurko infant was not healthy, by any means.

Dr. Gore's neglect, errors, false testimony, and malfeasant performance (abetted by two other doctors in this case) led to a wrongful conviction, placing an innocent man in prison for life without parole. Alan Yurko has been wrongfully imprisoned since December, 1997.

The question to you, Attorney General Crist is, simply, why is Alan Yurko still in prison? Since his conviction was based largely upon Shashi Gore's erroneous autopsy, and since the Florida Medical Examiners Commission has recently suspended Gore based upon the Complaint referred to in this letter, why is Mr. Yurko not being released?

Your attention and action is required to end this travesty of justice. The people of Florida need to know that you are willing to restore integrity and justice to Florida's legal system. Mr. Yurko's immediate release from prison is an important step to take in establishing justice in this case.

Sincerely,

***

Twenty-five points discrediting the autopsy cited as evidence that Yurko shook his baby to death

1. Page 1 and page 3 state decedent was two months old, whereas decedent was (10) weeks old.

2. Page 2 states there were no hemorrhages at the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral spine, whereas page 7 states that there are hemorrhages in the lower thoracic, lumber, and sacral spine.

3. Page 6 states that head circumference is 22 cm, whereas decedent was born with a 31.5 cm head, and just prior to autopsy, decedent is noted to have a 37.5 cm head.

4. Page 9 has a description of microscopic examination of inner heart muscle tissue, whereas pages 2 & 5 state that the heart was surgically absent as a result of organ harvesting. Special Procedures on page 6 notes that blood was obtained at harvesting, but no heart tissue. TransLife records do not indicate tissue samples saved for the ME. Tissue blocks on file at Dr. Gore's office do not contain a heart sample. The expert for the defense in the subsequent criminal trial noted in testimony that heart tissue slides were not included in the set. Tissue samples of myocardium are not logical for donor organs. The heart was successfully transplanted.

5. Page 6 notes a normocephalic head, whereas hospital records note swelling, bulging fontanelle, and visible edemic/macrocephalic conditions prior to autopsy. As well, a 22 cm head circumference on a 9 lb. baby would indicate a microcephalic head.

6. Page 4 notes a contusion of the left lateral surface of the chest, whereas page 8 states that the skin does not show any subcutaneous contusions of the buttocks, chest or abdomen. Yet, elsewhere on page 8, a chest contusion is noted.

7. No toxicology, virology or bacteriology testing was ordered by Dr. Gore.

8. Page 10 notes that decedent was a 2 month-old black male, whereas he was a 10 week-old white male.

9. After the criminal trial, Dr. Gore altered his report to state the correct race without notice to the courts or involved parties, and thus altered evidence in criminal proceedings. Dr. Gore testified that the mistake was a typographical error; however, it should be noted that there are no letters in the word “black” that are in the word “white.” (TT Vol. III p.272; 24 thru p.273; 23)

10. Dr. Gore testified that he did not seek or review medical history of the decedent, which would have revealed a 75-hour course of heparin overdose in an absolutely contraindicated setting (decedent had received iatrogenically 1095 IUs of heparin every five hours, whereas maximum dosage for this infant, according to the Physicians Desk Reference (2002 and 1997 editions), is only 125 IUs of heparin every five hours; and, as stated, heparin was absolutely contraindicated due to the high risk of hemorrhage.

Furthermore, had Dr. Gore properly investigated, he would have seen that CT scans revealed only an antemortem intracranial hemorrhage, 10 hours post-terminal hospital course admission. As well, the CT scans revealed only one “tiny” subdural hemorrhage occurring in hospital. Therefore, the bilaterality and inclusion of subarachnoid hemorrhages indicate that these hemorrhages occurred during the hospital course and could not have been SBS, but were a result of absolutely contraindicated over-heparinization, infused at 8.8 times maximum recommended allowances.

11. Dr. Gore testified that he did not, nor did his office, interview the caretakers or get the medical history/records of the infant -- necessary procedures in diagnosing SBS. Dr. Gore admitted that this was necessary to make the diagnosis, yet made the diagnosis despite it. (TT Vol. III pp. 246; 20 thru 254; 2)

12. Dr. Gore testified that he removed the heart, lungs and all the organs, whereas TransLife removed the heart, liver, pancreas, spleen and other organs. (TT Vol. III p.218; 14-17, p.246; 2-5 & p.277; 20-23)

13. Dr. Gore testified that he observed Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) in the decedent; however, the autopsy report makes no mention of DAI. (TT Vol. III p.280; 2-25, p.281; 1-6)

14. Dr. Gore testified that DAI is very minute pinpoint hemorrhages in the brain, thereby providing the court with erroneous definition: DAI involves no blood or hemorrhage, but rather, injury to brain axons. (TT Vol. III p.226; 15-25, p.227; 1-4)

15. Dr. Gore's attention to the medical history would have shown that egregiously excessive administration of bicarbonate occurred also. Bicarbonate was continuously infused, despite pH levels contraindicating this treatment (7.6 and 7.7), accounting for the hypoxic, edematous and other changes seen intracranially and in the CNS.

16. Dr. Gore did not describe the microscopic appearance of the meninges or the presence of DAI in the brain or spinal cord.

17. Dr. Gore presented no description of his x-ray findings of the rib changes.

18. Dr. Gore presented slides and testified about the old callous of the 5th, 6th & 10th ribs, unrelated to the present condition, as there was no new callous; yet he notes the 7th as well in his report. (TT Vol. III p.221; 1-17)

19. Dr. Gore's description of the bleeding in the subdural spaces indicates a 3-5 day process, yet he testified that the bleeding occurred in a few minutes or seconds. (TT Vol. III pp. 256; 15-20, p.275; 9-25, p.276; 1-3, p.279; 16-25 & p.280; 1-11)

20. The presence of bleeding in the lungs and lower spinal cord is not indicative of SBS, yet Dr. Gore maintains his diagnosis of SBS.

21. Dr. Gore testified that he did not test the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) because it was mixed with blood, whereas his autopsy report notes on page 7 that the CSF was clear. (TT Vol. III p. 238; 20-25, p.239; 1-22, p.242; 23-25 & p.243; 1-6)

22. Dr. Gore testified decedent did not have meningitis; however, his autopsy report indicates that there was meningitis. Tissue samples of the meninges revealed prominent and acute meningitis. (TT Vol. III p.278; 9-14)

23. Dr. Gore presented photos of decedent in trial and remarked about two bruises on the head, thereby presenting evidence not related to the cause of death: he later admitted that these bruises occurred in the hospital as a result of handling. (TT Vol. III p.215; 21-25, p.216; 1-18, p.254; 12-25 & p.255; 1-8)

24. Neither Dr. Gore, nor his office, performed a crime-scene investigation, per protocol.

25. Numerous other discrepancies are revealed when Dr. Gore's autopsy report and his testimony are scrutinized and compared by independent analysts.

***

This landmark case may go back to trial. The state of Florida is using every trick to stall and make justice in this case as expensive as possible. To help pay for mounting legal and professional fees, the Yurko Project has an on-line yard sale. Buy something you need or donate an item you don't -- help us win this case!

www.ayurkoproject.net

***

Alan R. Yurko #X13917 Century Correctional Institution 400 Tedder Rd. Century, Florida, USA 32535

Yurkoproject4@yahoo.com

Donations and correspondence may be sent to:

The Yurko Project
PO Box 585965
Orlando, FL 32858-5965

(407) 291-4344

Most importantly:

Copy, retype or request a clean electronic copy of the letter above, sign it, attach the 25-point complaint above and send it to AG Crist. Let him know that people all over the country are wondering why Alan Yurko is doing life while a compromised medical examiner awaits retirement.