06-24-2008, 05:33 PM
Sheriff Hall's Office Reopens Joshua Whittier Drowning Case (http://www.srpressgazette.com/news/sheriff_3830___article.html/county_investigation.html)- 2008-05-27 14:12:00
By BILL GAMBLIN
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s office is awaiting new information as they are preparing to review the investigation into the death of a Navarre youth. Last Tuesday, Ms. Melody Schmitt and her spokesman David Craig met with Santa Rosa County Sheriff Wendell Hall in an attempt to review the investigation of her son’s accidental drowning back on Feb. 18 of last year.
This past May the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office closed the case of 21-year-old Joshua Michael Whittier’s death after ruling it an accidental drowning. According to the report in May of last year, Whittier died as a result of an accidental drowning with a contributory cause of cocaine intoxication. Officials determined Whittier had levels of alcohol and cocaine in his system that would have impaired his ability to balance, swim, or tread water. The cocaine level in Whittier’s system indicated recent cocaine usage prior to his drowning following the Mardi Gras celebration on Navarre Beach.
According to Santa Ross Sheriff’s Office Assistant Public Information Officer Marc Ward, three different agencies, namely the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office, Medical Examiner’s Office, and the First Judicial State Attorney’s Office, conducted their own independent investigation into the matter and came up with the same conclusion.
But on May 20, Schmitt and Craig met with Hall and requested that he investigate new details that Craig will provide in a written statement.
“Out of concern for this grieving mother we are willing to answer any questions within our ability to do so, in order to help her bring closure to the loss of her son,” said Hall in a press release. According to Ward, the sheriff’s office has yet to receive any information from Schmitt or Craig, but a detective will be assigned to the request immediately upon receipt of the information.
According to investigators back in May, the drugs found in Whittier’s system corroborate several witnesses’ accounts indicating he was extremely intoxicated and refused several people offering him rides home. Also due to the cocaine in his system, any type of physical exertion in the water in an attempt to stay afloat would have contributed to his death.
By BILL GAMBLIN
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s office is awaiting new information as they are preparing to review the investigation into the death of a Navarre youth. Last Tuesday, Ms. Melody Schmitt and her spokesman David Craig met with Santa Rosa County Sheriff Wendell Hall in an attempt to review the investigation of her son’s accidental drowning back on Feb. 18 of last year.
This past May the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office closed the case of 21-year-old Joshua Michael Whittier’s death after ruling it an accidental drowning. According to the report in May of last year, Whittier died as a result of an accidental drowning with a contributory cause of cocaine intoxication. Officials determined Whittier had levels of alcohol and cocaine in his system that would have impaired his ability to balance, swim, or tread water. The cocaine level in Whittier’s system indicated recent cocaine usage prior to his drowning following the Mardi Gras celebration on Navarre Beach.
According to Santa Ross Sheriff’s Office Assistant Public Information Officer Marc Ward, three different agencies, namely the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office, Medical Examiner’s Office, and the First Judicial State Attorney’s Office, conducted their own independent investigation into the matter and came up with the same conclusion.
But on May 20, Schmitt and Craig met with Hall and requested that he investigate new details that Craig will provide in a written statement.
“Out of concern for this grieving mother we are willing to answer any questions within our ability to do so, in order to help her bring closure to the loss of her son,” said Hall in a press release. According to Ward, the sheriff’s office has yet to receive any information from Schmitt or Craig, but a detective will be assigned to the request immediately upon receipt of the information.
According to investigators back in May, the drugs found in Whittier’s system corroborate several witnesses’ accounts indicating he was extremely intoxicated and refused several people offering him rides home. Also due to the cocaine in his system, any type of physical exertion in the water in an attempt to stay afloat would have contributed to his death.