MEDIA RELEASE
DOUGLAS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Justice Building • Roseburg, Oregon 97470 • (541) 440-4450
John Hanlin
SHERIFF
Contact Person: Dwes Hutson
Contact Number: 541-440-4464
Subject: Michael Smith UPDATE
Date/Time of Incident: 09/01/2009 - 07:15
Incident Location: 200 block A Street, Drain, Oregon
Case Number: 09-3332
Deceased: Smith, Michael / 54 yoa male / Drain, OR
On Tuesday, September 01, 2009, at about 0715 hours, Michael Smith was found on the ground, unresponsive, in the area of the Drain Civic Center, by children who were heading to school. They called 911. First responders found that Michael Smith had an injury to his head. Michael Smith was transported to Mercy Medical Center, where he underwent emergency brain surgery. Emergency Room personnel, and Detectives who responded to the hospital, did not find any clear evidence that the injury was intentionally inflicted. At the hospital it was determined that Michael Smith had a blood alcohol content of about .30%, which would be almost 4 times the legal limit to be considered intoxicated in Oregon. Michael Smith was transported to Oregon Health Sciences University for further medical treatment.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Police began an investigation into what caused the injury to Michael Smith.
Based on the scene investigation and interviews with numerous persons in the Drain area, investigators believe Michael Smith fell and struck his head on the ground. Investigators at the scene located a spot on the paved driveway containing skin and eyebrow hair along with a large amount of blood near where Michael Smith had been found. The blood patterns at the scene led investigators to believe that after the initial fall, Michael Smith had staggered around for a period of time, laid down, and then succumbed to the injury. The amount of blood found was consistent with a head injury, as well as coming from a person who was extremely intoxicated. Nothing at the scene, nor from the interviews conducted indicated that Michael Smith's injury was a result of an assault.
On Thursday, September 03, 2009, Michael Smith died while at Oregon Health Sciences University.
On Friday, September 04, 2009, an autopsy was performed on the body of Michael Smith at the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office in Clackamas. This autopsy was attended by a representative from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. The State Medical Examiner's Office has listed the cause of death to be blunt force trauma, from an injury to the head, and the manner of death is undetermined. There was no evidence discovered at the autopsy that Michael Smith had been assaulted.