An autopsy was ordered Wednesday on the body of a woman who spent more than nine months in a Mexican prison on drug charges and died in her father's arms shortly after her release.
Jennifer Whitt, 24, of Albany, Texas, and three other women were arrested Dec. 14, 1991, as they tried to cross back into the United States after purchasing Valium in Reynosa, Mexico. Prescription drugs cost less in Mexico.Whitt reportedly told Mexican border inspectors she purchased the drug to treat her bursitis.
Whitt and the others were held for trial at the Reynosa Detention Center because authorities believed the number of pills in their possession was excessive for personal medical treatment.
However, a judge eventually cleared the women.
Whitt and the others were released Tuesday night at the middle of the International Bridge over the Rio Grande between Reynosa and Edinburg, Texas.
Whitt said, "I love you all. . . . I'm so excited."
About three hours after her release, Whitt suffered a severe asthma attack. When she stopped breathing, her father tried to perform CPR, but was unsuccessful.