WINSTON SMITH DEATH RULED ACCIDENTAL

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE FOR PRECINCT #3 CODY PARRISH HAS ACCEPTED THE FINDINGS OF DR. TOMMY BROWN, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST, AT THE JEFFERSON COUNTY MORGUE AND HAS RULED ACCIDENTAL AS THE MANNER OF DEATH IN THE CASE OF WINSTON SMITH. THE 83-YEAR OLD RETIRED HARDIN SCHOOL TEACHER PERISHED IN A FIRE NEW YEARS DAY MORNING. A FIRE THAT DESTROYED HIS 36-FOOT LONG TRAVEL TRAILER WHERE HE WAS LIVING. CAUSE OF DEATH, ACCORDING TO PATHOLOGIST DR. TOMMY BROWN, WAS SMOKE INHALATION. THERE WAS ALSO AN INVESTIGATION OF THE FIRE SCENE BY A TEXAS STATE FIRE INVESTIGATOR AND OTHER EVIDENCE, IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST BY JP CODY PARRISH. WE ASKED JUDGE PARRISH IF, DURING HIS INQUEST, DURING THE AUTOPSY, DURING THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATION, OR THE INVESTIGATION BY THE STATE FIRE INVESTIGATOR IF ANY THING EXTRAORDINARY OR SUSPICIOUS WAS FOUND. HIS ANSWER WAS NO- THE MAN’S DEATH WAS CAUSED BY SMOKE INHALATION AND THE MANNER OF HIS DEATH WAS FOUND TO BE ACCIDENTAL. THE CASE DOES REMAIN OPEN UNTIL THE TOXICOLOGY RESULTS FROM DR. BROWN ARE FINAL. EXPERTS SAY THAT ALWAYS TAKES LONGER THAN ANY OTHER PART OF THE INVESTIGATION. THE REASON FOR OUR INQUIRY OF JUDGE PARRISH WAS A PHONE CALL TO KSHN RADIO FROM A PERSON QUESTIONING THE ACCURACY OF OUR NEWS STORY REGARDING THE CAUSE OF WINSTON SMITH’S DEATH. AS WE REPORTED AT THE TIME EVIDENCE SHOWED THAT MR. SMITH HAD SET AN ELECTRIC HEATER ON A STACK OF MAGAZINES IN THE RV, WITH MORE READING MATERIAL BEHIND THE HEATER. WHEN THE APPLIANCE TRIED TO DRAW IN AIR FROM THE BACK, AS IT IS DESIGNED TO DO,– ITS AIRWAY WAS OBSTRUCTED. THE HEATER THEN OVERHEATED AND CAUGHT FIRE. THE REMAINS TO BE THE FINDINGS OF THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. WINSTON SMITH WAS LIVING IN THE STRUCTURE PARKED NEXT TO RUSSELL FAIRCHILD’S PALLET FACTORY ON STATE HIGHWAY 146 IN HARDIN. MR. FAIRCHILD LIVES IN THAT BUILDING IN A SECOND FLOOR APARTMENT. HE TOLD US IN AN INTERVIEW THE DAY OF THE TRAGEDY THAT HE AWOKE TO POPPING NOISES EARLY NEW YEARS DAY MORNING AND FOUND THE TRAILER ON FIRE. HE AND ANOTHER MAN WHO SAW THE FIRE TRIED TO RESCUE MR. SMITH. THAT EFFORT FAILED AND THE 83-YEAR OLD RETIRED TEACHER PERISHED. AFTER A FORENSIC EXAM ON JANUARY 2^ND AND HIS OTHER FINDINGS WERE COMPLETE DR. TOMMY BROWN SIGNED THE AUTOPSY REPORT ON JANUARY 15^TH . THAT FORENSIC EXAM CONFIRMED FINDINGS OF JP CODY PARRISH, THE STATE FIRE INVESTIGATOR AND SGT. JOEL DAVILA OF THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT. THE TOXICOLOGY REPORT IS ALL THAT REMAINS TO COMPLETE THE INVESTIGATION. WINSTON SMITH WAS BURIED IN A FAMILY BURIAL SPACE IN MONT BELVIEU.