Former state medical examiner: Cause of death was multiple blunt head injuries
Dr. Mark LeVaughn, former state medical examiner, stuck to the office s initial autopsy results during Wednesday s testimony. The office previously concluded Robinson died of multiple blunt head injuries. His manner of death was ruled a homicide, as previously reported by Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart.
When asked, LeVaughn said he still believed that conclusion to be the case and said it is based on case files and medical and coroner reports.
LeVaughn told the court under questioning by Hinds County prosecutor James Guthrie there were three areas of abrasion on Robinson s forehead and right side of his face and head, as well as swelling around the right eye. He said the injuries were consistent with blunt force trauma.
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Hinds County Judge Faye Peterson on Thursday morning dismissed all charges against two police officers on trial for second-degree murder in the death of George Robinson, a Black man from Jackson.
Peterson said the state failed to present evidence that Desmond Barney and Lincoln Lampley acted criminally in the detainment of Robinson, 62, on Jan. 13, 2019.
“There was nothing on its face that was illegal,” Peterson said. “The detention of a suspect is not a criminal act and there was no proof presented that they were conspiring.
The judge also considered the lesser charge of manslaughter, but the facts in the case did not meet that legal requirement, she said. She dropped all charges with prejudice, meaning the two officers cannot be tried again.
Judge Faye Peterson said the state failed to present evidence Desmond Barney and Lincoln Lampley acted criminally in the detainment of George Robinson.
Head injuries, broken ribs: What medical experts said at Jackson police murder trial msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
What happened to George Robinson?
Jurors will be responsible to determine what happened to Robinson on the day he was confronted by police. The cause of Robinson s death will weigh heavily in the trial as attorneys for both sides will likely argue the injuries that led to his death came at the hands of police officers or was preexisting.
Jackson Police Chief James Davis at a press conference shortly after the incident said officers approached Robinson Jan. 13, 2019, while they were searching for the men suspected of killing a pastor earlier in the day.
The Rev. Anthony Longino, 62, was gunned down in Robinson s Washington Addition neighborhood while he was opening the church for Sunday service. Three men have since been charged with this death.