MArlowe Mock trial

Dr.

Can you please introduce yourself, spelling your last name for the record?

My name is Dr. Grey Marlowe, M-A-R-L-O-W-E

What do you do for a living?

I am a board certified sports medicine physician and I run my own private consulting firm.

What is your education?

I got my bachelors at Southern Plains University and my doctorate from Bay Ridge University. I stayed at Bay ridge for a year as part of my residency then I did my fellowship with the University of Michigan.

Tell me about your professional experience.?

I was the former Head Doctor for the 5 time MBA champion Midlands Meteors. I was also a Professor at Midlands State University school of Medicine, where I did extensive research into overexertion and metabolic collapse in athletes.  I also won Coach of the year the past year for coaching my nephews soccer team. His name is Richard. 

So how are you involved in today’s case?

I was approached by the producers of the TV show to review the case surrounding the untimely passing of Mr. Rob Armstrong.

What information did you review in preparation for today?

First, I reviewed the report and autopsy done by the medical examiner. Then, I reviewed Mr. Armstrong’s body, bloodwork, and tissue samples, as well as the dive footage and obstacle course challenge.

What principles and methods did you use?

 I conducted physical observations of Mr Armstrong's body based on my experience conducting autopsies and with my expertise in forensic pathology and biochemistry, I reviewed  and analyzed several materials including the autopsy using the gold standard practices and peer-reviewed methods.

Was this method reliably applied to the facts and data used in today’s case?

Yes, it was

Moving onto your work, what was your impression on Mr. Armstrong’s cause of death?

It was difficult to discern the cause of death because of a lack of evidence and an underinvestigation of Mr. Armstrong’s final moments.

What do you mean?

The drowning occurred during a physically intense land and underwater challenge, meaning there were many factors at play, including overexertion and dehydration, that were not properly investigated

Were there indicators of overexertion in the autopsy of Mr. Armstrong ?

There were several indicators, the presence of calcium oxalate within the kidneys as well as evidence of Mr Armstrong coughing and displaying respiratory problems

Lets take those one at a time, can you explain what calcium oxalate is?

Calcium Oxalate is a common naturally occurring mineral compound that is crucial in both biology and medicine.

When would calcium oxalate appear naturally?

In clinical practice, trace amounts of calcium oxalate crystals are regularly seen in the urine of healthy patients due to the plethora of foods high in oxalate. It is also found with patients experiencing dehydration.

How does dehydration affect an athlete?

Overexertion and dehydration can affect athletes no matter their fitness. Whether it’s Michael Jordan or my five year old nephew, Richard. I’ve seen even the toughest athletes be taken down by overexertion.

If someone is experiencing that level of exertion and dehydration, what symptoms would you expect to see?

With that level of dehydration and exertion, they would feel dryness I. Their throats which would make them prone to coughing and other breathing problems. Overexertion also leads to a decline in mental sharpness, hand eye coordination, and reaction time.

Did Mr. Armstrong exhibit these signs?

Yes, in the dive footage, you can see Mr Armstrong putting on the mask, taking a breath in and then coughing, as well as a gradual decline in his swimming. This is highly indicative of overexertion

Why would he have been overexerted?

The most likely source of overexertion was the obstacle course Mr. Armstrong completed immediately before the dive. The course was lengthy, physically demanding, and filled with extremely complex obstacles.

Could you walk us through the course ?

Yes. I brought a blown up version of what the course required.

how does the obstacle course begins?

The contestants start at the line with a weighted backpack. Then the signal goes off,  and they begin the first obstacle, the balance beam, here they must carefully cross it without falling.

What are the next obstacles they face?

After the balance beam, they move to climb a rope wall while still carrying the weight, then move on to the balance posts, which are even harder because there’s less surface area to stay stable.

Is that the end of the course?

Not quite. They must crawl through a mud pit and then tackle another set of rope walls, balance beams, and another mud pit. My nephew Richard is a phenomenal athlete but this is much more draining and harder on the body.

What happens after that?

No, that was only half of it .After doing all that, contestants must then sprint directly towards the diving challenge.

What can you tell us about the dive challenge?

There’s no break and no time to take a breather because everyone is trying to win. The contestants quickly put on their diving mask and race into the water to try to retrieve a series of rings attached to anchors. There are five anchors in total, and each ring is attached to it with a rope the contestants must untie.

Were you able to come to a definitive conclusion as to the cause of death?

No I couldn’t. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough evidence to suggest one definitive cause of death.

What cause of death seemed more likely, given the circumstances?

Due to the lack of evidence, I cannot say that one cause is more likely with a 100 percent certainty. However, the evidence does not support the idea that Mr. Armstrong’s death was solely caused by inhalation of oxalic acid. Overexertion, remains one of the several plausible contributing factor.