A judge in Florida on Monday agreed to issue a standing order barring the release of autopsy photos, videos, or other records related to the investigation into the death of comedian Bob Saget.
During a court hearing in Orlando, District Judge Vincent Chiu said he would grant the permanent injunction sought by Saget’s widow Kelly Rizzo and his three daughters. The comedian died in his Orlando hotel room after a stand-up show on January 9 this year and is believed to have suffered an accidental head injury that was ultimately fatal.
Rizzo, 42, food blogger, and his three daughters, Aubrey, 34; Lara, 32, and Jennifer, 29, whom he shared with ex-wife Sherry Kramer, have filed a petition to stop publication of further information about the death of the Full House star, which was ruled an accident with no suspicion of foul play.
Family members have filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the release of any records from the local medical examiner’s office and the Orange County Sheriff’s office related to the investigation into Saget’s death.
Saget was found dead in bed, sparking speculation as to what caused his severe injuries. One theory that has since emerged is that he fell in his hotel’s tiled bathroom and mortally wounded himself, but managed to crawl back into his bed before succumbing to his wounds.
Bob Saget was found dead on January 9 in a hotel room in Orlando at the age of 65. to hit with a baseball bat – raised questions about the circumstances
Saget is pictured with his wife Kelly Rizzo (right) and daughter Lara (left) in June 2021.
This diagram shows all of the injuries Saget received leading to his death from a cerebral hemorrhage.
Authorities initially claimed that Saget hit his head on the headboard, but experts said his injuries were severe enough to be the result of being hit with a baseball bat.
This photo shows the white marble floor in one of the rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande, where Saget was found dead on January 9.
Saget, 65, was found dead on January 9 in a room at the Ritz Carlton in Orlando. The night before, he had performed in the area as part of a stand-up tour.
According to the medical examiner, Saget died from an accidental blow to the head, likely as a result of a fall on his back.
The autopsy report revealed that Saget had an abrasion to his scalp, a fracture at the base of his skull, fractures around his eye sockets, contusions to the brain, and hemorrhage between the brain and tissues covering the brain.
Saget’s widow, Kelly Rizzo (pictured), and his three daughters filed a lawsuit seeking to block the publication of any records from the medical examiner’s office related to his death.
Toxicological analysis revealed no illegal drugs or toxins in Saget’s system.
During the autopsy and death investigation, the medical examiner’s office and the sheriff’s office created graphic videos and photographs of Saget’s body, as well as audio recordings.
Such recordings are prohibited by state law from public release, but according to the family’s lawsuit, some media outlets have already filed requests for them.
On January 14, a private funeral for the artist took place in Los Angeles.
On February 9, his family stated that he had died of a head injury, saying in a statement: “They concluded that he accidentally hit the back of his head on something, didn’t think about it, and went to bed.”
However, on February 11, the chief medical examiner for Orange and Osceola counties stated that Saget had severe skull fractures, raising questions about the previous explanation.
One analyst reviewed the report and said the injuries were related to being hit with a baseball bat or falling from 30 feet.
The family sought an injunction against the medical examiner’s office and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to prevent the release of any records, including photographs, video and audio recordings, and “legally protected autopsy information” related to his death.
“Plaintiffs will suffer irreparable harm in the form of severe mental pain, suffering and emotional stress if Defendants release the Recordings in response to requests for public records or otherwise distribute the Recordings for any other reason or for any purpose,” the lawsuit states. copy obtained by ABC News.
The last photo of Bob Saget was posted on Instagram on the night of his death and captioned: “Very grateful and cheerful audience.” Thanks again @comediantimwilkins for the discovery. I had no idea I did a two hour set tonight. I’m back in comedy like I was when I was 26. I think I’m finding my new voice and enjoying every moment of it. Peace’
Bob Saget and his wife Kelly Rizzo in September 2018. Saget, 65, died on January 9.
Saget with his three daughters in 2008 – from left to right: Aubrey, Lara and Jennifer.
Health experts are now wondering how thoroughly his death was investigated and what could have caused Saget’s “significant blow to the head”.
Saget was also infected with COVID-19 when he died, although this did not play a role in his death, Joshua Stefani’s report says, although this was not a contributing factor to his death.
“I think what this shows more than anything else is that it was not just a bump on the head,” said neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta, chief medical correspondent for CNN.
“When you read this autopsy report, it still might be, but it was a pretty significant blow to the head.”
A graphic provided by CNN shows the bones in Saget’s head that were said to be broken, including a section of bone from the front of his skull to the anterior temporal bone, in addition to fractures above his eye sockets.
Saget was seen in a Full House publicity photo in September 1993.
Health experts are demanding answers about Saget’s cause of death after an autopsy report found that his injuries were more significant than originally thought.
– This requires a lot of strength. If I didn’t know anything else about what happened, you would think it was someone who fell down the stairs and got hit on the head a few times or was not wearing a seatbelt in the car accident,” Gupta said.
“Whatever happened here, we may never know how he fell or what happened, but the reason for this was a strong blow.
“And probably bleeding in the upper part of the brain, probably caused pressure on the brain and subsequently, unfortunately, what led to him passing out and dying.”
Dr. Gavin Britz, chair of neurosurgery at Houston Methodist Hospital, told the New York Times: “This is a serious injury.
“That’s what I find on someone with a baseball bat in their head, or someone who’s fallen 20 or 30 feet.”
John Meyer and John Stamos embrace at the funeral of Bob Saget at Mount Sinai Memorial Park.
Jimmy Kimmel and wife Molly McNearney were spotted at Saget’s funeral.
He pointed out that Saget’s fractures were not only extensive, but also in particularly thick parts of his skull.
“If you break the orbit, you will have severe pain,” he added, referring to the area around the eyes.
Byron York, chief political correspondent for the Washington Examiner, responded to the autopsy report by asking if the original investigation could have gone deeper.
“It’s really weird. Makes you wonder about the thoroughness of the initial investigation of the scene,” he tweeted.
Former AUSA-SDNY employee Richard Signorelli opined and suggested that Saget’s death may have been linked to foul play, despite officials admitting it was an accident.
“No offenses have been found. Something doesn’t make sense given his severe head injuries,” he tweeted.
Emergency physician Dr. Megan Ranny also responded to her concerns raised in the autopsy report and demanded that Saget’s family find out what happened.
‘Hey. ICYMI: It’s not “slip and fall”. This is not a mild concussion. This is a STRONG head injury.
“My condolences to Saget’s friends and family. I hope they get answers about what really happened,” she tweeted.