The Suffolk County medical examiner says his office will release autopsy reports for TWA Flight 800 victims following a recommendation by the state attorney general and months of requests by the victims' families, Newsday reported on Friday.
"We were waiting to see where the investigation was going to lead," Suffolk County Medical Examiner Dr. Charles Wetli told Newsday in Friday's editions.New York Attorney General Dennis Vacco released his legal interpretation of the issue on Tuesday, recommending that autopsy reports be given to the families of those who died on the Paris-bound 747 jumbo jet.
Wetli had indicated that he would turn over the reports but had not said when. He said on Thursday that his office would begin releasing the reports early next week, according to the paper.
Wetli said he also consulted with the FBI because the crash still might be declared a criminal act, making the autopsy documents classified as being part of a homicide investigation.
On Dec. 23, FBI spokesman Jim Margolin wrote to Wetli, also saying the reports should be released to families who wanted them, according to Newsday.
The Paris-bound Boeing 747 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Long Island minutes after taking off from Kennedy Airport.
All 230 on board were killed. Investigators have yet to determine the cause, theorizing only that either a mechanical failure, a bomb or a missile brought down the plane.
Wetli has said that the explosion killed most of the passengers instantly and knocked others unconscious, making it unlikely anyone experienced the horror of the free fall into the ocean.
Some relatives have said their grief is multiplied by the mystery surrounding exactly how their loved ones died.
Some also need the autopsy reports for negligence lawsuits filed against TWA and Boeing.
"It is a very emotional issue and the families feel very strongly about getting these reports as soon as possible for their own peace of mind," John Seaman, a relative of a victim from upstate New York, said Thursday night.