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Autumn Taggart died of compression and asphyxia in the neck, probably from manual strangulation, according to the pathologist who examined her body.
The trial of Jitesh Bhogal, accused of sexually assaulting and murdering Taggart, 31, in her University Avenue West apartment on June 10, 2018, continued on Friday with testimony from Dr. Elena Tugaleva of the Science Center of London Health.
Speaking about her post-mortem examination of Taggart, the pathologist told the court that she found “extensive lesions on the face” that she believes are consistent with “suffocation or obstruction of the external airway by a hand or object.”
There were bruises on Taggart’s neck described as “round, oval and smaller in size,” leading to Tugaleva’s opinion that the strangulation was done manually.
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Taggart also had wounds around the head and other facial injuries that Tugaleva considers the result of a non-fatal “blunt force impact.”
On the backs of both Taggart’s hands and wrists there were marks and bruises that Tugaleva testified could have been the result of a “defensive posture.”
Tugaleva described that the “defensive posture” occurs “when the victim tries to avoid being beaten or stabbed by an aggressor. They can cover their face or torso with their hands. The hands get in the way of the blow or the stab. “
But Tugaleva said Taggart’s hand injuries were “nonspecific.” Additionally, there were no injuries to the palm side of either of Taggart’s hands.
Tugaleva also detailed injuries to Taggart’s genitalia.
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However, under questioning by Bhogal defense attorney Peter Thorning, the court also heard that there were no broken bones in Taggart’s neck.
This included the hyoid bone, a U-shaped bone within the neck below the chin that often fractures in cases of forced strangulation.
Tugaleva discovered that Taggart’s hyoid bone was intact. Taggart’s cricoid cartilage, a ring of cartilage that surrounds the trachea, was also intact.
The next session of the Superior Court jury trial is expected to take place on Tuesday.
Reference-windsorstar.com