ATLANTA — The medical examiner has released the autopsy report in the case of a prominent Atlanta attorney who said he accidentally shot and killed his wife.
The report rules Diane McIver’s death a homicide. It says she was shot from behind as she was sitting in the front seat of the car last month.
McIver was a high-level executive of U.S. Enterprises.
Her husband, Claud McIver, who goes by Tex, says the shooting was an accident.
Former medical examiner Dr. Joe Burton looked over the report from the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office on the death of McIver.
The report says the entrance wound is not irregular, which suggests the projectile did not pass through an intermediate target. A target like the passenger seat.
Burton explains that when a bullet passes through something, it can wobble.
"When it wobbles and gets to her body, it's not going to make a nice symmetrical round. It's not spiraling anymore. Usually it makes an elliptical wound, sometimes even like crow's foot," Burton said.
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Burton also says if the revolver and bullet were of good quality, and didn't hit anything hard it could very well have passed through the seat untouched.
The report also states the bullet's trajectory was right to left, back to front and downward.
"If he's sitting up straight and I shoot him in the back, and the bullet goes straight through, it can't come out lower than it went in. Simply leaning back, the bullet comes out lower than it went in." Burton said.
Cox Media Group
