Autopsy: Boot Camp Teen Died of Suffocation

May 6, 2006— -- Fourteen-year-old Martin Anderson died after he was punched and kicked by guards at a juvenile boot camp in Florida. The altercation was caught on tape.

The initial autopsy found that his death was not the result of any physical contact, but instead the result of a sickle-cell trait, which is a normally harmless blood disorder.

Martin's parent refused to accept the findings from that autopsy.

"The case is that they beat him on that field, against that pole," said Martin's father, Robert Anderson, on "Good Morning America" in February. "And then when he fell... when they all fell on top of him, then they started kicking him and choking him. That's what he died from."

Pressure from the Andersons and organized protests forced Gov. Jeb Bush to reopen the case. Now, after exhuming Martin's body months after his death, a second autopsy supports the family's claim that their son died as a result of the guards' actions.

'Truth Is Out,' Says Mother

The autopsy found that the death was cased by suffocation and "the forced inhalation of ammonia fumes." The guards said that they had used ammonia capsules to keep Martin conscious. The Andersons say that the second autopsy brought a sense of relief and vindication.

"The truth is out," said Martin's mother, Gina Jones. "We all knew how Martin passed away. So I'm relieved and happy today. It's a beginning -- justice needs to be served."

But the latest autopsy does not say if Martin's death was an accident or homicide.

The Florida state attorney general called for the medical examiner who did the initial autopsy -- Dr. Charles Siebert -- to be suspended. Martin's parents said Siebert was covering up for the guards.

"I think right now it's a little premature to make a conclusion like that, a jump like that," said Siebert in an interview on "GMA" today. Martin's parents also appeared on the show.

Siebert said that the second autopsy has not provided any evidence to substantiate the claim that Martin was killed by the guards. He believed that the boy was sick and would have died even without the beating and suffocation.

"I think he was having trouble prior to any interaction with the guards," Siebert said. "He was complaining of not being able to breathe. That was prior to the guards interacting with him at all. Clearly he was having a problem at that time, and I think the guards could have contributed by delaying treatment. Martin was already on that slippery slope of having difficulties with the disease he was having."

Benjamin Crump, the Anderson's attorney, called Siebert's position "unbelievable."

"The doctor, even this morning, isn't acknowledging that they covered his mouth and stuffed ammonia tablets up this young boy's nose," Crump said.

But Siebert said that there could have been pressure to come to a different conclusion because of all the public outcry in this case.

"That's always something to keep in mind -- and the one thing I would like to add, also if you believe that the guards did kill Martin Anderson, you have to believe he was faking in the beginning when he was collapsing. I don't believe he was faking, I believe he was truly sick," Siebert said.

Martin's parents and their attorney are not buying it.

"They stuffed ammonia tablets -- how horrible is that? You don't treat a dog like that," Crump said.