Forty-five days after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released a wealth of investigative details. While any new information is valuable, the release falls short in key areas, particularly because the FBI has not provided specifics about the crucial physical evidence.
During a media call, Kevin Rojek, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, offered comments that only prompted further questions.
For instance, Rojek mentioned that “the FBI is now in possession of the subject’s autopsy and toxicology reports from the coroner’s office.” However, it remains unclear when the FBI acquired these reports.
Additionally, it’s not specified whether he is referring to the Butler County Coroner or the Allegheny County Medical Examiner, two entities that are often confused. Greater clarity on these points would be useful.
Rojek also says that the “autopsy report indicated the subject was pronounced deceased at 6:25p.m. on July 13, 2024, as a result of a single gunshot wound to the head.”
This reads just like the Butler County Coroner’s death certificate, not the ME’s autopsy. If this is from the coroner and not the ME, then there are serious problems.
The coroner’s report reads “an inquisition taken at 615 Whitestown Road on the 13th day of July…”. The coroner went to the crime scene at midnight on the 13th and was rebuffed and told to return later.
The coroner returned at 6 a.m. on the 14th to complete the death investigation. Assuming the FBI told the coroner to return later, then the death investigation report is inaccurate and should be corrected, and Agent Rojek should have explained why the coroner was sent away at midnight.
Next. Agent Rojek explains that “all reviewable evidence collected from the AGR roof and from the Subject’s body are consistent with the round fired by the Secret Service Sniper.”
It is interesting that the FBI would use the word “consistent.” What the public needs to know is whether a projectile was recovered from the subject’s body and was there a rifling match between the projectile and the barrel of a sniper’s weapon?
Providing the ballistics report would be helpful. Further, having a look see at the autopsy would also provide important information about which direction the projectile removed from the subject traveled. Specificity.
Special Agent Kevin Rojek of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office stated that the FBI “rendered the scene safe and followed established evidence-gathering procedures,” then contacted the Butler County Coroner’s office. However, there are concerns about what evidence was collected before the coroner arrived, twelve hours after the shooting, and why the FBI had the coroner removed from the scene initially.
Rojek also reported that toxicology tests showed negative results for alcohol and drugs of abuse, but it’s unclear whether tests for prescribed medications were conducted. This raises concerns, especially given past cases where prescribed drugs were initially overlooked.
The FBI’s cleanup of the scene seven days after the attack, including removing biological material, is also questioned by law enforcement experts as potentially non-standard procedure.
Despite the release of some information, key details are still missing. The full autopsy report, ballistics report, and results of fingerprint and DNA tests on the alleged shooter have not been made public.
Additionally, there is no mention of a white van found by police that contained multiple explosives, which raises further questions about the investigation’s scope and findings. The absence of information on these critical aspects only adds to the uncertainty surrounding the case.
