10/28/2024
The Forsyth family never had the chance to identify John’s body ourselves. Looking back, we wish we had insisted on seeing him, but at the time, we trusted the investigators and had no reason to question them. We were overwhelmed with grief. Still, some of us did ask, but we were either strongly discouraged or outright told "no." Now, we need to understand why we weren’t given that option. We deserve answers. Even if family members couldn’t see him, why didn’t they allow one of John’s long-time patients, who happened to be present when his body was found, to help identify him? Why rely on a driver’s license photo for identification? John’s face was marked by "raccoon eyes," his mouth was taped, he had days of beard growth, and his skin had marbled after being face down in the water for nine days. If you were responsible for identifying a body in this condition, wouldn’t you want someone who knew him well to help ensure accuracy?