angelburst29
The Living Force
I remember seeing news reports on TV when this incident happened. It's interesting, that their ruling Brady's death a homicide, due to being wounded 33 years after an attempt to assassinate President Ronald Reagan?
James Brady's Death Was a Homicide, Medical Examiner Rules
_http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Jim-Brady-Death-Was-a-Homicide-DC-Medical-Examiner-Rules-270522411.html?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_DCBrand
Friday, Aug 8, 2014
The death of James Brady -- President Ronald Reagan's press secretary who was wounded in the attempt on Reagan's life in March 1981 -- was a homicide, a medical examiner ruled Friday.
Brady died as a result of the grievous injuries he suffered 33 years ago, the Office of the Medical Examiner for the Northern District of Virginia said. That means gunman John Hinckley Jr. could be charged with Brady's murder.
Brady was 73 when he died at his home earlier this week. He had been partially paralyzed and in a wheelchair since the assassination attempt, and his speech was slurred. Brady had used his own experience to launch a campaign against gun violence that led to groundbreaking gun control legislation signed into law in 1993.
The medical examiner's office conducted an autopsy, and found the cause of death to be the gunshot wound and its consequences, according to a statement late Friday from police detectives in D.C.
Now, the medical examiner's ruling has the potential to open the door to federal murder charges against Hinckley, who is a mental patient at St. Elizabeth's hospital in suburban Washington, said NBC News Justice Correspondent Pete Williams on News4.
"There is no statute of limitations on murder in either the federal or state system," Williams said.
But, he added, "We are a long way from knowing what the federal authorities are going to do with this, or whether they are going to do anything with it."
Williams said prosecutors will have to weigh the likelihood of getting a different verdict on murder charges than they did decades ago on the 13 charges that Hinckley faced after the assassination attempt.
Any charges also could complicate effort of Hinckley's family, who are trying to get him a permanent leave from St. Elizabeth's, Williams said. Hinckley has been granted repeated weeks-long leaves to stay with family in Williamsburg, Virginia.
D.C.'s Metropolitan Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia both issued statements Friday afternoon, saying they are reviewing the ruling.
D.C. police pointed out that Brady's death increases thenumber of criminal homicides in the District this year to 71.
Brady's wife, Sarah, said the family had not yet been officially notified of the ruling, but had seen the reports. "This isn't a surprise to anybody or to her, given that his health was impacted and he suffered such consequences over the years," a family spokeswoman said. "If that is the case it is in the prosecutors' hands, and it is up to them."
Sarah Brady is comforted by the outpouring of love for her husband since his death Monday, the family spokeswoman added. "She is feeling great about the sendoff that Jim is getting. She is holding up."
James Brady's Death Was a Homicide, Medical Examiner Rules
_http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Jim-Brady-Death-Was-a-Homicide-DC-Medical-Examiner-Rules-270522411.html?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_DCBrand
Friday, Aug 8, 2014
The death of James Brady -- President Ronald Reagan's press secretary who was wounded in the attempt on Reagan's life in March 1981 -- was a homicide, a medical examiner ruled Friday.
Brady died as a result of the grievous injuries he suffered 33 years ago, the Office of the Medical Examiner for the Northern District of Virginia said. That means gunman John Hinckley Jr. could be charged with Brady's murder.
Brady was 73 when he died at his home earlier this week. He had been partially paralyzed and in a wheelchair since the assassination attempt, and his speech was slurred. Brady had used his own experience to launch a campaign against gun violence that led to groundbreaking gun control legislation signed into law in 1993.
The medical examiner's office conducted an autopsy, and found the cause of death to be the gunshot wound and its consequences, according to a statement late Friday from police detectives in D.C.
Now, the medical examiner's ruling has the potential to open the door to federal murder charges against Hinckley, who is a mental patient at St. Elizabeth's hospital in suburban Washington, said NBC News Justice Correspondent Pete Williams on News4.
"There is no statute of limitations on murder in either the federal or state system," Williams said.
But, he added, "We are a long way from knowing what the federal authorities are going to do with this, or whether they are going to do anything with it."
Williams said prosecutors will have to weigh the likelihood of getting a different verdict on murder charges than they did decades ago on the 13 charges that Hinckley faced after the assassination attempt.
Any charges also could complicate effort of Hinckley's family, who are trying to get him a permanent leave from St. Elizabeth's, Williams said. Hinckley has been granted repeated weeks-long leaves to stay with family in Williamsburg, Virginia.
D.C.'s Metropolitan Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia both issued statements Friday afternoon, saying they are reviewing the ruling.
D.C. police pointed out that Brady's death increases thenumber of criminal homicides in the District this year to 71.
Brady's wife, Sarah, said the family had not yet been officially notified of the ruling, but had seen the reports. "This isn't a surprise to anybody or to her, given that his health was impacted and he suffered such consequences over the years," a family spokeswoman said. "If that is the case it is in the prosecutors' hands, and it is up to them."
Sarah Brady is comforted by the outpouring of love for her husband since his death Monday, the family spokeswoman added. "She is feeling great about the sendoff that Jim is getting. She is holding up."
