A household is trying to find solutions after a Southern California public defender died in Mexico over the weekend whereas celebrating his first marriage ceremony anniversary, CBS Los Angeles experiences.
Elliot Blair, 33, died at his lodge in Rosarito, Baja Mexico on Saturday.
The circumstances surrounding Blair's dying nonetheless stay unclear, as Mexican authorities have but to reveal many particulars so far.
His household says the Orange County lawyer was killed, opposite to what Mexican officers have claimed to this point. They allege that Blair died in a "tragic accident" on the Las Rocas Resort.
"The household of Elliot Blair is completely reeling from the tragic dying of this wonderful younger man who was in Rosarito Seaside celebrating his first marriage ceremony anniversary," the household mentioned in an announcement. "The household, which has intensive authorized coaching in felony legislation, wholeheartedly believes based mostly on their preliminary investigation, that Elliot was the sufferer of a brutal crime."
They aren't alone in believing that Blair was killed through the journey.
"I personally do not put a number of credence in what the Mexican authorities say," John Jenks, non-public investigator and enterprise companion of Blair's, instructed CBS Los Angeles. "The article I learn mentioned that he died of a tragic accident and my query is what proof do you base that conclusion on?"
As his household works with the USA officers to study extra, Tijuana-based media has reported that the Baja California Prosecutor's Workplace dominated that Blair died of head trauma from falling off his lodge balcony.
One native outlet reported that Blair fell from the fourth ground of the lodge and will have been "drunk." Of their assertion, the household says he "was not intoxicated on the time of this incident" and "the incident didn't happen off their room's non-public balcony, nor any balcony, for that matter."
The Blair household maintains that there was foul play concerned, stating that nobody from the Rosarito Seaside Police Division or the Mexican authorities has reached out to talk to them.
"He was the sufferer of a brutal crime," says a GoFundMe arrange for Blair's spouse, Kim, who can also be a public defender. "All donated funds shall be utilized by Kim and Elliot's household of their seek for solutions and to assist Kim with any private funds as she grieves her Elliot."
Learn the Blair household's full assertion right here:
"The household of Elliot Blair is completely reeling from the tragic dying of this wonderful younger man who was in Rosarito Seaside celebrating his first marriage ceremony anniversary. The household, which has intensive authorized coaching in felony legislation, wholeheartedly believes based mostly on their preliminary investigation, that Elliot was the sufferer of a brutal crime. We're sorry that it has taken so lengthy to launch an announcement, because the household was hopeful of promised data by the Mexican authorities. Nonetheless, it seems that data is not going to be instantly disseminated to the household.
The household is devastated that since this incident, nobody from the Rosarito Seaside Police Division, their district legal professional's workplace, or some other Mexican officers have reached out and spoken to them instantly.
The one communication that the household has obtained has been by means of a liaison to the coroner's workplace. Yesterday, January 16, at roughly 2:00 pm the liaison indicated that he had been in direct contact with the medical expert's workplace that carried out an post-mortem. The liaison indicated that the reason for dying was extreme head trauma and that the case had been forwarded to the district legal professional's workplace to conduct a doable murder investigation. The liaison additionally suggested that as of that point, the toxicology report had not been accomplished.
The household knowledgeable the liaison that they might be conducting their very own impartial investigation, particularly hiring a non-public investigation agency, retaining an impartial forensic pathologist to conduct a medical examination, together with their very own toxicology evaluation.
All through this whole course of, it has been advised by the Mexican authorities that Elliot's physique be cremated. Yesterday, throughout a dialog with the funeral dwelling liaison, it was once more advised he be cremated and the household insisted his physique not be cremated so as to conduct a radical, full, impartial investigation.
Inside simply hours of this dialog, the household independently got here throughout a information article that quoted "Mexican officers" stating that this gave the impression to be an "unlucky accident.* These "Mexican officers" nonetheless haven't reached out to the household with this data.
As well as, it's extremely unlucky that all through this whole devastating ordeal, Kim, his loving spouse, has been given a number of variations of what occurred to Elliot. The one actual details which are recognized are this:
a. Elliot and Kim had stayed at Las Rocas Resort and Spa on a number of events prior to now 5 years.
b. Elliot was a fluent Spanish-speaker.
c. Moreover, Elliot and Kim had stayed on this particular room on the third ground on a number of events.
d. Elliot was very accustomed to the structure of Las Rocas Resort and Spa, in addition to its hallways and walkways.
e. The incident didn't happen off their room's non-public balcony, nor any balcony, for that matter.
f . The incident occurred in an open-air walkway positioned outdoors the entrance door of their room at Las Rocas Resort and Spa.
g. Elliot was not intoxicated on the time of this incident.
h. Elliot was present in his underwear, his sleeping tee shirt, and socks.
i. Little to no investigation into the circumstances into Elliot's dying was performed by the Rosarito Seaside Police Division.
j. As a result of insufficiency of the investigation, the household feels compelled to conduct their very own non-public investigation in seek for the reality.
Elliot was an excellent legal professional with a vibrant future. Elliot's smile was radiant and warmed the hearts of each individual he got here in touch with. Elliot had an innate means to attach with folks from all walks of life. Elliot was a loving husband, son, and brother. Elliot's tragic, premature, and suspicious dying has left his household and group with an enormous gap of their hearts that can by no means be repaired."