Transylvania Times Article

Below is the Transylvania Times Article. The Hendersonville Times News will print another story tomorrow and I will post it as soon as I get a copy.



Owen Family Has Autopsy PerformedLenora Carver, Staff Writer 20.APR.10The family-requested autopsy has been completed on Edgar Allen Owen.According to Chief Medical Examiner Dr. John D. Butts, the family had Owen’s body exhumed this past Wednesday and sent to his office in Chapel Hill.As of Thursday morning, Butts said he had completed the autopsy, and once all paperwork and other items were finished, the outcome of his findings concerning Owen’s death would be made available.On Nov. 23, the 67-year-old Owen was found dead in a creek off Woodruff Road in Rosman. The local medical examiner ruled that Owen died because of an accidental drowning and did not request for a state-performed autopsy. In a previous interview with The Transylvania Times, Owen’s brothers, Carl and Gerald, said they did not believe their brother accidentally drowned, and wanted the body exhumed and an autopsy performed.
Earlier this year, the family posted a $2,500 reward for information surrounding Owen’s death.Gerald Owen was contacted concerning the recent exhumation and autopsy but refused to comment.Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney said he knew the family had questioned the previous findings of Owen’s death and understood they were going to exhume the body for autopsy.“But our investigation has remained open since the beginning,” said Mahoney.Mahoney said the case was handed over to District Attorney Jeff Hunt’s office to determine if the investigation performed by his department was sound.“He determined it was a thorough investigation,” said Mahoney. “He recommended the case to be closed.”But Mahoney said it would remain open until the autopsy results are known.