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March 15, 2007 - BET.com (US)

Family To Get $5 Million In Boot Camp Death

By BET.com News Staff & Wire Services

Return to Drug War News: Don't Miss Archive

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist says the state should pay $5 million to the family of the 14-year-old boy who died after he was beaten by guards at a state-run boot camp.

Crist's made his decision Wednesday after meeting with the family of Martin Lee Anderson and watching a newly released, NASA-enhanced video, which clearly shows seven guards beating Anderson with fist, pinning him down and holding what appears to be a white cloth to his face and ammonia capsules under his nose.

''I thought it would be easier on me this time to watch the video,'' said Robert Anderson, the youth's father, at a news conference with family attorney Ben Crump. ''But as you're watching that video, you see him crying, being tortured on the ground, beaten, kicked, kneed in the back and everything.''

Gina Jones, Martin Anderson's mother, said, ''I'm very angry'' after seeing the video.

The guards and the nurse who watched pleaded not guilty last month and face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of aggravated manslaughter.

The family of Martin Lee Anderson initially had sued for $40 million, but said in a letter to Crist that a $10 million payment would be a fair resolution. They are seeking another $5 million Bay County, which ran the camp.

After meeting with the Martin's family, the governor's office said, Crist sent letters to the House and Senate urging them to approve the payment this session.

"I think it's real important that the state do the right thing, and I think the right thing to do is honor their more-than-reasonable request. Justice delayed is justice denied," Crist said in Tallahassee. The payment, which Crist is urging, would have to be approved by the Legislature.

Anderson was taken to the camp a day before his death for violating probation after trespassing at a school and stealing his grandmother's car from a church parking lot.

His death led to the dismantling of the state's juvenile boot camp system and the resignation of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's director.

An initial autopsy ruled the boy's to be from natural causes, but the family had a second autopsy done. That examination found that Anderson died of suffocation due to his airway being blocked because his mouth was being closed while he was forced to inhale ammonia. The medical examiner in that autopsy ruled that Anderson's death was "due to the actions of the guards," who are now awaiting trial in this case.

Click Here for Video: Life in a Florida boot camp and the death of Martin Lee Anderson. WARNING: This 8-minute video clip showing the fatal abuse of a teenager may be deeply disturbing to some viewers. Do not play it if children are present. Allow download time.


May 6, 2006 - New York Times (NY)

Autopsy Ties Boy's Death To Boot Camp

By Christine Jordan Sexton

Martin Lee Anderson, a 14-year-old boy who died in January a day after entering a boot camp in northwest Florida, died from suffocation and not sickle cell trait, a new autopsy released yesterday concluded.

The initial medical examiner in Bay County contended that the boy had died from the rare condition of sickle cell trait despite a video that showed guards at the boot camp beating him. But State Attorney Mark Ober, who was appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush to investigate Martin's death, ordered a new autopsy.

Mr. Ober released the autopsy results, but did not make any arrests yesterday and said in a statement that he had no "timeline" for completing the investigation.

At a press conference in Tallahassee the boy's parents, Gina Jones and Robert Anderson, and their lawyer, Ben Crump, thanked Governor Bush, Mr. Ober and the Hillsborough County medical examiner, Vernard I. Adams, a medical doctor who conducted the second autopsy.

"The truth is out," Ms. Jones said. "We all knew how Martin passed away so I am relieved and happy today. It's a beginning. Justice needs to be served."

Dr. Adams concluded that the beating on Jan. 5 by boot camp guards left bruises but did not directly cause Martin's death. Guards punched and choked the boy after he said he was unable to finish running laps. The beating was captured on tape.

"Martin Anderson's death was caused by suffocation due to actions of the guards at the boot camp," Dr. Adams said in a release.

He added, "The suffocation was caused by manual occlusion of the mouth, in concert with the forced inhalation of ammonia fumes that cause spasms of the vocal cords, resulting in internal blockage of the upper airway."

Dr. Adams consulted with several pathologists as well as a pediatric critical-care specialist and a pediatric hematologist. He also asked NASA to improve the quality of the videotape, and it reduced glare and inserted a digital clock.

While the parents were satisfied with the release of the second autopsy, members of the Florida Black Legislative Caucus expressed anger that no arrests had been made.

"If the guards caused his death, then they need to be arrested immediately," said State Senator Frederica A. Wilson, a Democrat from Miami, who added, "We can't accept that."

The death has sparked protests and was partly to blame for the sudden resignation of one of Florida's top law-enforcement officials. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement executive director, Guy Tunnell, resigned after the discovery that he had sent e-mail messages to the Bay County sheriff discussing the continuing investigation into the death. After the discovery, Mr. Ober removed Mr. Tunnell's agency from any role in the investigation.

Governor Bush appointed Mr. Ober after criticism of the initial autopsy done by the Bay County medical examiner, Dr. Charles Siebert. It concluded that Martin died from complications of sickle cell trait.

Dr. Siebert said yesterday that he stood by the findings of his autopsy.

"I am still sticking to my findings at this point, since I don't have any proof of his findings, said Dr. Siebert, who added that he had ruled out suffocation as a cause of the boy's death based on hospital reports that, Dr. Siebert said, indicated that the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood were low.

Dr. Siebert said that there was an "automatic" assumption that Dr. Adams's results were correct and that "is very premature at this point." He also said he expected the Florida Medical Examiners Commission to assemble a probable-cause panel to review if there was any wrongdoing and whether his licenses should be revoked.

"I don't see a way of avoiding it," Dr. Siebert said.

Mr. Bush said in a release that he considered the actions of the Bay County boot camp guards "deplorable" and that he was committed to providing any resources Mr. Ober might need to complete the investigation "as quickly as possible."

Click Here for Video Report from New York Times

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