A high profile American pathologist who was hired by Arturo Gatti's family to conduct a second autopsy on the former boxing champion said the initial autopsy conducted by Brazilian authorities was incomplete.
"The Brazilian autopsy was not a complete autopsy," Dr. Michael Baden said on Saturday, after performing a seven-hour autopsy on Gatti in Montreal.
"There were a lot of additional findings that were not found by the Brazilian pathologists. It has to await further investigation."
Baden hosts the HBO cable TV show "Autopsy," a documentary series that investigates puzzling and controversial deaths.
He has also been in the spotlight for testifying for the defence or prosecution in a number of celebrity cases, including the criminal trial of O.J. Simpson. Most recently, he oversaw the second autopsy on the late Hollywood actor David Carradine.
Baden said medical examiners in Montreal will perform additional toxicology tests and are awaiting further information about the scene of Gatti's death from investigators in Brazil.
"Homicide cannot be ruled out at this point and suicide cannot be ruled out either," he said.
Amanda Rodrigues, Gatti's 23-year-old Brazilian wife, had been held in custody since July 12 on suspicion of murder, but was released Friday.
Brazilian authorities said she was released because they had concluded that Gatti committed suicide by hanging himself with a purse strap, while the two were vacationing at a resort in the northeastern part of the country.
It will take several weeks before the results of the second autopsy are made public.
New information on Gatti's will
According to a family friend contacted by CTV Montreal, Gatti changed his final testament on June 17, just days before going on vacation.
It is now believed that 100 per cent of his multi-million dollar fortune will go to Rodrigues, and that she will have full custody of their 10-month-old son, Arturo Jr. Should something happen to Rodrigues, everything -- including custody of Arturo Jr -- would be handed over to her sister, Flavia.
The revised will apparently leaves nothing to Gatti's daughter in New Jersey, or to his parents and siblings in Montreal.
The couple's insurance policy guarantees that $1 million be made accessible to Rodrigues immediately.
Gatti's manager, Pat Lynch, said he is both suspicious and outraged.
"Everything changed into her name, and all of a sudden, Arturo Gatti's dead three weeks later?"
Lynch added that he is convinced his name is on the will.
"I was told that I am co-executor of that will, so I had an attorney from Montreal represent me and I demanded a copy of that will, which I hope to have in my hands on Monday."
With files from The Canadian Press
