Queasy Congressional Task Force Sits on Physical Evidence

September 11, 2024

Photo Credit (Kenny Holston / The New York Times)*

It’s been two months since numerous investigations were begun into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. It’s no surprise that all these bloated but well-funded investigative entities have produced no new information since what was made public the day of the shooting. Nothing. NADA, Zip. A big hole in a donut!

And, worse, the Congressional Investigative body, the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump, which promises to provide its findings no later than December 13 of this year, reports that it has received important physical information, but it’s anyone’s guess when or if it will be released to the public. How is this possible?

It took the Task Force almost two months to even request important physical evidence, including but not limited to the alleged shooter’s autopsy report, the Butler County Coroner’s report, the toxicology report, and all documents relating to recovery of Crooks body from the roof of the AGR Building.

Pennsylvania Congressman and Task Force Chairman, Mike Kelly, reported that the Task Force had finally received the autopsy and told the press that its grisly details are “gruesome.” The Chairman also reported that the autopsy should not be seen by those who “don’t have a strong stomach” and, he said “the autopsy, there’s a warning that goes with it…it’s pretty graphic.” Hello? Autopsies are supposed to be graphic. How is this guy the Chairman of this investigative body?

The autopsy is supposed to identify, beyond a shadow of doubt, the identity of the shooter and cause of death. And, because the alleged shooter’s body was destroyed (cremated) very early on without the Task Force’s knowledge, the autopsy becomes a critical piece of physical evidence. Make no mistake, the public is not as squeamish as the Task Force Chairman. The public wants and demands to see every single piece of information associated with the physical evidence in this case.

The public would like to know if identification of the body was completed by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner (ME) by utilizing DNA, dental records, or fingerprints. Did the Butler County Coroner or the ME use a paraffin or nitrate test to determine if the shooter had gunpowder residue on his hands? Is there detailed information about the trajectory of the projectile that reportedly struck the alleged shooter and, most important, was a projectile recovered from the body during autopsy and what barrel of what weapon does that projectile match? Also, do the projectiles removed from the bodies of the dead and wounded match the weapon of the alleged shooter?

The public wants to know what information was provided to the Task Force about the Butler County Corner’s identification of the body while it was lying on the AGR building at 6:00 a.m. the following morning. What is the coroner’s reason for waiting until twelve hours after the shooting to make the identification of the alleged shooter? Was it appropriate investigative technique to let the body lie on the roof all night and, while the body laid on the roof, which investigative entity was tasked with security of the AGR building, ensuring that there was no tampering with the evidence?

Chairman Kelly received all the requested information from the September 3 letter request but, what’s interesting is that the Task Force did not request the alleged shooter’s medical records, including mental health records. Instead, Chairman Kelly is quoted as explaining that the autopsy is of little use because “I don’t know that it’s revealing in any sort of way, because you’re not going to find out much about his past, or what was his thinking the day he did all that…” Ya think? The Task Force must ask for the medical records to get information.

It is of interest that Chairman Kelly seems more concerned with Crooks family’s feelings than getting this information to the public when he said “it’s really important” to remember the Crooks family when considering the autopsy, explaining that they “lost somebody” that day too. Really? Is the Task Force Chairman unaware of the family’s remarks after the shooting? Let’s remember that this family has yet to make a public statement of remorse for those killed and wounded. In fact, the only public remark the father has made about his son’s attack is “I gotta pee.” Now that the family has lawyered up one would expect a statement of at least empathy toward those affected. But, still, nothing.

Beyond the Chairman’s queasy feelings about autopsy details and concern for the Crooks family, AbleChild would like Chairman Kelly to immediately release the toxicology report that had to have been conducted during the autopsy.  Apparently, the alleged shooter’s behavior was odd during the days leading up to the shooting. According to news accounts the alleged shooter exhibited strange behavior before the shooting “walking around the house talking to himself and flapping his arms.”

The public has been told that Crooks was not receiving any mental health treatment or medications. Did the autopsy reveal any prescribed psychiatric drugs in his system. It matters. Too often these shooters have long mental health histories and always include psychiatric drug “treatments.”  Certainly, this information cannot make anyone queasy so there should be no reason to withhold it from the public. And let’s remember that mom and dad Crooks are mental health experts. What information have they provided that would eliminate any mental health diagnoses and drug “treatments?”

The nation is in the final stages of a Presidential election. The Task Force, a supposedly neutral investigative body, should do all it can to provide the public with information about the assassination attempt if for no other reason than to reassure that it was an isolated case and not a much more organized sinister attack. The public isn’t queasy. The public wants and needs the truth.

Photo Details: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) during a ceremony at the Capitol in Washington. The top Republican and Democrat in the House have struck a deal to form a bipartisan task force to lead congressional investigations into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. (Kenny Holston / The New York Times)

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