Death Of Russian Adoptee In Gardendale Ruled Accidental
By: Dylan Brooks & Marianne Elisak
Updated: March 1, 2013
ODESSA -- The recent death of a young Russian adoptee in Gardendale has been ruled as accidental.
During a press conference Friday, Ector County District Attorney Bobby Bland announced that autopsy results indicated that Max Shatto died accidentally.
Specifically, Bland mentioned that four doctors presiding over an autopsy of Shatto's body determined that the young boy's death was accidental.
Shatto, 3, was found unresponsive at his Gardendale home in January, and he was later pronounced dead.
The boy died months after he was adopted from Russia by Alan and Laura Shatto.
The Ector County Medical Examiner's office later sent Shatto's body to Tarrant County for an autopsy, as international speculation on the cause of the boy's death swirled.
During Friday's press conference Bland said the autopsy results showed that Shatto died from blunt force trauma to his abdomen.
That trauma reportedly came from a laceration to Shatto's abdomen, which was likely the result of bruising in that area.
Bland said Shatto's bruising appears to have been self-inflicted to to a behavioral disorder.
Bland added that a toxicology report found nothing in Shatto's blood.
The Ector County District Attorney's Office hasn't taken any further action in regards to Shatto's death, and Bland added that no documents on the still-pending investigation are being released.
Bland said his office will ask Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott for a decision on whether to release the documents from the investigation.
During a press conference Friday, Ector County District Attorney Bobby Bland announced that autopsy results indicated that Max Shatto died accidentally.
Specifically, Bland mentioned that four doctors presiding over an autopsy of Shatto's body determined that the young boy's death was accidental.
Shatto, 3, was found unresponsive at his Gardendale home in January, and he was later pronounced dead.
The boy died months after he was adopted from Russia by Alan and Laura Shatto.
The Ector County Medical Examiner's office later sent Shatto's body to Tarrant County for an autopsy, as international speculation on the cause of the boy's death swirled.
During Friday's press conference Bland said the autopsy results showed that Shatto died from blunt force trauma to his abdomen.
That trauma reportedly came from a laceration to Shatto's abdomen, which was likely the result of bruising in that area.
Bland said Shatto's bruising appears to have been self-inflicted to to a behavioral disorder.
Bland added that a toxicology report found nothing in Shatto's blood.
The Ector County District Attorney's Office hasn't taken any further action in regards to Shatto's death, and Bland added that no documents on the still-pending investigation are being released.
Bland said his office will ask Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott for a decision on whether to release the documents from the investigation.
