The investigation into the death of comedian/actor Bob Saget is ongoing. Part of the problem with the case is trying to determine exactly how he suffered the severe head injuries discovered in the autopsy. Authorities have speculated that he might have hit his head against the bed’s headboard.
In a report from the Orange County Sheriff's Office (OCSO), new information was released.
The autopsy performed by Joshua Stephany, M.D., found that the comedian had a fracture near his skull base. This was consistent with evidence that he had suffered bleeding around his brain. He explained that the force required to fracture the skull, combined with the fact that the skin at the back of his head was still intact, had led him to believe that the injury had been caused by something heavy covered by something soft. He gave as an example a fall on the floor.
That's the reason for the fracture at the base. But what about the orbital fractures? Even if you fall and land on your back, it is still necessary to have additional force to cause those fractures. More explanation is needed to account for this. They still don't understand why this happened.
According to the report, they excluded countertops, nightstands and tables from their reenactment room because of sharp edges, which did not match his injuries. However, they did notice that the whole room was carpeted. The headboard of the bed was slightly out of line with the wall and lightly padded. These are possible mechanisms of injury. However, nothing was found in the room that would allow for a definitive conclusion, the report stated.
The bottom line? They don't know the answer. He was found dead in his bed. They found no blood or any other evidence that suggested he had died from natural causes. He was not drunk, and there weren't any illicit substances. The valet took a photo of them together after Bob Saget returned from his gig, shortly before he retired to his room for the night. The picture shows him looking fine.
Another detail that OCSO shared in its final report was that the door between Saget's bedroom and the adjoining room was unlocked at the time of his death. According to the report, it was empty. Police say that there is no evidence that anyone had been in the room between Saget's return to the hotel in the early hours of January 9 and his death later that day.
This is new information–why haven't we heard it before?
The judge has now ruled that local authorities will not be able to release some photos, videos and other records related to the case at the family’s request. They stated that they do not want autopsy photos to be made publicly available.
