Seven months after her death, superior court Judge Henry M. Newkirk granted a motion to unseal the autopsy results of Bobbi Kristina Brown. Brown’s autopsy results were sealed by the State on September 28, 2015. The motion was filed by TEGNA Media, the parent company of several television stations across the country.
The motion asked for the court to unseal “the autopsy report, all related investigative reports, all related toxicology reports, the death certificate and any other documents used and/or created by the Medical Examiner’s Office regarding the autopsy of Bobbi Kristina Brown.” Citing the First Amendment, TEGNA says that autopsy reports are public record and that Bobbi Kristina’s autopsy report was sealed without notifying the public or providing an opportunity for a hearing. The complaint is that historically, autopsy reports are open to the press and general public. TEGNA feels they were deprived proper access. The superior court agreed.
Though the reports are unsealed, the medical examiner’s office says that they have yet to receive signed authorization from the court indicating whether they can release information, and if so, what can or cannot be released. The autopsy results are expected to be made public Friday, May 4, at the earliest.
