Autopsy shows Toews's injuries consistent with a fall
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 | 4:20 PM MT
CBC News
An initial autopsy on an Alberta man found fatally injured at a Cancun resort indicates he suffered injuries consistent with a fall.
The family of Jeff Toews has insisted he was the victim of a vicious beating, but Mexican officials say Toews was drinking heavily and fell from a second-floor balcony at the hotel.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Alberta Justice Department confirmed that Toews had injuries consistent with a fall, including severe head injuries, skull fractures and severe abdominal injuries.
However, officials are not releasing the exact cause of death, saying it will take more tests and several more weeks to determine what killed him.Jeff Toews, seen in a family photo with his wife, Natalie, and son, Dawson, suffered fatal injuries while in Mexico.
Earlier this month Toews, 33, was found unconscious on the grounds of the Moon Palace Golf and Spa Resort in Cancun, where he was vacationing with his wife and nine other couples from northern Alberta.
He was flown back to Edmonton on May 9 and taken by ambulance to the University of Alberta, where doctors confirmed the diagnosis of Mexican doctors, who had declared him brain-dead. He was taken off life support Thursday.
Mexican authorities have maintained that Toews fell from a second-floor balcony after getting drunk in a hotel bar.
Toxicology test results made available to the Canadian Press through Mexican authorities concluded that Toews had traces of cocaine in his bloodstream, while a report last week from the Mexican Embassy in Ottawa said Toews had been drinking into the early morning hours and ignored pleas from friends and security guards to remain in his room.
The family doesn't believe authorities' descriptions of an accident and accused Mexican officials of a coverup.
Greg Toews, Jeff's twin brother, told the Edmonton Journal Monday night that his family will wait before reaching any conclusions.
"We're going to have to wait for all the evidence," he said. "There's just too much that has gone on."
With files from the Canadian PressShare Tools
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Jeff Toews, seen in a family photo with his wife, Natalie, and son, Dawson, suffered fatal injuries while in Mexico.
