Authorities said initial reports indicated the death of an Orange County public defender while vacationing in a popular Mexican tourist destination was an “unfortunate accident,” but the man’s family disputed the findings.
Elliott Blair, 33, died on saturday Celebrated our first wedding anniversary with wife Kim in Rosarito.
Officials with the Baja California Attorney General’s office said the autopsy report indicated that Blair’s death appeared to be “the result of an unfortunate accident in which the deceased fell from the third floor,” the Orange County Register reported.
The Register also reported that Mexican authorities, which are investigating Blair’s death, are in contact with the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI, which are sharing information with Blair’s family.
Attempts to contact the Baja California attorney general’s office on Tuesday were unsuccessful.
A State Department spokesman said the agency was aware of reports of the death of a U.S. citizen in Rosarito and stood ready to provide consular assistance. The agency declined to provide further comment.
The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
David Scazon, an attorney hired by the Blair family, said in an interview with The Register that the Blair family has doubts about the report from Mexican authorities and plans to conduct a separate investigation.
“There are a lot of unanswered questions,” Skarsen said.
Skarsson did not respond to an interview request Tuesday.
Few details are available about the death, although GoFundMe campaigns The process to help bring Blair’s body back to the US – initiated by Anne Rodriguez, who describes herself as a friend and colleague of the couple – has described it as a “brutal crime”.Spanish publications Noticias BC reports A man described by Blair fell from a hotel room on the fourth floor. Las Rocas Resort and Spa is located along the Tijuana-Ensenada Highway in Rosarito.
Blair has been with the public defender’s office since 2017, the year he passed the bar exam and handles felony cases in the Santa Ana office.
Orange County Public Defender Martin Schwarz told the Register that Blair was a “devoted husband, a terrific person and a wonderful attorney who dedicated his life to serving clients and helping the most vulnerable in the county.” .
“He touched countless lives and his loss is deeply felt by all who knew him,” Schwartz added. “We have been communicating with the families and doing everything we can to support them during this difficult time, including working with local and federal officials to help them find answers.”
Schwartz declined to provide further comment on Tuesday.
