SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane County named a new medical examiner in Spring of 2021. In her first year on the job, Dr. Veena D. Singh has already been asked to review the autopsies and findings of six cases conducted by those who previously held her title.
Her reviews on two of the six cases were completed last week. In both, she made amendments to the manner of death.
On Wednesday, Martine Maggio got a call from the Medical Examiner notifying her that manner of death for her daughter Kala was set to be changed from ‘undetermined’ to ‘homicide.’
“I want justice for her,” Maggio said. “I [knew] this day would come.”
“Obviously, this was a murder from the beginning,” she said. “She didn’t cut up herself… and transport herself… and inflict all these injuries. [The undetermined] ruling stalled her case.”
The 49-year-old was found dead in the Spokane River the day after he was last seen heading out on a jog near downtown Spokane. His passing was ruled an accident in 2016. His widow, Dr. Suzan Marshall, has maintained the case was mishandled and the previous Medical Examiner got it wrong.
A county spokesperson said in order for the Medical Examiner to review a case, a formal request must be submitted. The submission can only be made by an immediate family member or law enforcement agency. The spokesperson couldn’t disclose the names of the other three cases that are being assessed by Dr. Singh. He says it’s unknown when she will complete her reviews of the cases.