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Dead man had alcohol in system, but was below legal limit

Published: May 1 2008, 10:59 PM · Updated: May 1 2008, 11:54 PM
Category: Local News
Topic: Coroner

The man who was found dead on his lawn April 14 had alcohol in his system, but was under the legal limit, the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office said.

Christopher Lawrence Friedman, 29, was determined to have died from internal injuries he likely sustained in a motorcycle crash the weekend prior to his body’s discovery, the Coroner’s Office said. His blood alcohol content was .07, below the legal limit of .08, Coroner Frank Jäger said. Friedman also had an anti-inflammatory medication in his system, Jäger said.

There were no illegal drugs or marijuana found in Friedman’s system, Jäger said, which doesn’t provide much closure in the case that may never be fully resolved.

Friedman’s body was found by a delivery person and was originally classified as a suspicious death. Following an autopsy the next day, a pathologist concluded the man suffered a ruptured spleen and lacerated lung and died from his injuries outside his rural home.

Further investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death found that Friedman was in a motorcycle accident April 12 and went to a dance at The Portuguese Hall in Arcata that night, coroner officials said.

Friedman, who lived off West End Road on the 100 block of Willow Lane, was last seen leaving the dance at 2 a.m. on April 13.

Jäger said his office doesn’t have a solid time line on Friedman’s activities before he died, but said the above scenario sounds the most logical.

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