By the The Associated Press
Former junior welterweight champion Arturo Gatti was murdered two years ago in Brazil, a panel of forensic evidence experts said Wednesday as it presented the results of a 10-month investigation initiated to challenge the official version that Gatti committed suicide.
“This case must be reopened if authorities in Brazil have an iota of moral, ethical and legal concern for their reputation,” said noted forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht, who termed the version produced by the initial criminal investigation “pure, unadulterated fiction.”
Brazilian authorities initially considered Gatti’s wife a prime suspect and arrested her, but released her soon after and concluded Gatti had hung himself with a handbag strap.
Eduardo Trindade, a lawyer assisting Gatti’s family, said Wednesday he would have the panel’s report translated and presented to prosecutors in Brazil within the next month or two and would push for an indictment of Amanda Rodrigues Gatti.
While no one at Wednesday’s news conference explicitly accused her of being involved in murder, several speakers stopped barely short of that.
“If she was there alone, who committed the homicide?” said Paul Ciolino, a Chicago-based investigator hired by Pat Lynch, Gatti’s former manager. “He was murdered because he had some dough. It’s the oldest motive in the world.”
Amanda Gatti is involved in a legal battle with Gatti’s family over her late husband’s fortune, estimated at $6 million by Ciolino. A civil trial is under way in Canada.
Using crime scene photos, interviews and autopsy reports as well as computer-generated simulations, the team of experts challenged the official version on numerous fronts.
A severe laceration on the back of Gatti’s head couldn’t have happened during a fall to the floor, and the position he was found in, with his head halfway wedged under a cabinet, was not consistent with a hanging, they said. In addition, the handbag strap he allegedly used wasn’t strong enough to hold 78 pounds for more than a few seconds, far shorter than the several hours alleged by police based on interviews with Amanda Gatti.
The laceration was caused by a blunt instrument and could have incapacitated Gatti before he was strangled, Wecht said.
Two hand towels covered with blood, presumably from the head injury, were never tested by Brazilian authorities, according to Brent Turvey, an Alaska-based forensic scientist.
The Italian-born, Canadian-raised Gatti developed a large following in New Jersey, where he lived and trained beginning in the early 1990s. Nicknamed “Thunder,” he fought some of his most memorable fights at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, including a trilogy of slugfests with fellow 140-pounder Micky Ward beginning in 2002 that endeared him to fans. Some of those bouts played on TV monitors on the walls of Global Boxing Gym during Wednesday’s news conference.
YES BRASILIAN JUSTICE TRIBUNAL will reopen the case, they also need for Amanda is processing the state, for keep her in jail for 18 days, when she say she is inocent.
the brasilian autoritys don’t want problem with others countryes, international agreement.
in special for the turism area. the turist protection.
and above of all they also want the justice, they also want the true.
BRASIL is an amazing country in development, in special in turism area. the BRASIL don’t want to have shadows to remain. there are inteligent people there. they will analise the videos and the techicalls explanations. will take some time. more then 500 pages.
ARTURO GATTI was murdered. 1- Arturo Gatti was murdered. 1 – the alsa purse is not extended, the weight of the boxer or he would be hanged, burst or by alsa. and there was no compliance suficente for a stroll around the neck and on the stairs. There was no blood on the wall. and position of the body with the head buried under the counter. V-cut neck which led to the innocence could have been done with real intent, tying it from the chin up in the head. the police missed. be determined without proof techniques. and the delegate can not come out and say that this person ‘innocent. Gatti family look for justice. the accused person is a perfect actriz and can manipulate people. she was the only one who was there.!!
I thought the story was very shady when they ruled it a suicide, hopefully somehow they can bring this great warrior some justice. Whenever this guy stepped through the ropes you knew you were getting your moneys-worth. Thank you for the memories and R.I.P. Gatti you are one of the biggest reasons why I love Boxing.
Yea I’m with you on that Edgar. I never bought that suicide story to begin with, the whole story sounded shady from the start. Gatti was one of my favorites aswell (all heart)RIP Champion.
RIP Gatti, he was one of my all time favorite. I always knew from the beginning that his Brazilian chick killed him, or hired someone to kill him.
I could almost guarantee that the Brazilian police will not reopen the case.
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