THE EDITOR, Sir:

The Woolmer autopsy affair has undoubtedly been a profound international embarrassment for Jamaica, and for all Jamaicans who take pride in their country.

The United Kingdom authorities have decreed that Woolmer's death was from natural causes, contradicting the findings of the local constabularyand of the Jamaican pathologist, Dr. Ere Sheshiah, who had ruled the death a homicide. This finding effectively created an international uproar, with grave and undesirable implications in the sporting and international worlds.

There have, of course, been other calls for the figurative castration of Dr. Sheshiah. Before we rush for the scalpel, however, there are some troubling aspects to this affair that warrant our careful and thoughtful consideration.

The first is that it has been reported in the international press that Dr. Sheshiah is standing by his findings that Woolmer was murdered. This is significant and suggests that the case and controversy are not closed. Sheshiah has effectively pleaded 'Not Guilty!' to incompetence, and returned the ball to the court of his detractors.

Like it or not, we must give some weight to the presumable facts that Dr. Sheshiah is, ostensibly, an experienced medical professional who presumably did not obtain his credentials by mail order from the Mocho School of Medicine.

Second, common sense tells us that a finding of death by strangulation must be based on clear forensic evidence that may/could even be discerned by an observant non-professional: bruising of the neck, damage to the windpipe, etc. We must ask ourselves: How could Shesiah have been so wrong ... if indeed he was wrong?

Third, we must ask ourselves what possible reason Shesiah could have had for declaring a natural death to be murder. This does not make sense - leaving the door open for possible determinations of either gross incompetence, insanity or understandable medical error.

Fourth, could this have been a 'borderline' case, where ANY competent professional pathologist might have erred on either side of a determination of natural or unnatural death? If such were found to be the case, then Shesiah's reputation and professional standing would remain intact.

Let us all keep open minds and cool heads and ask for an objective and professional medical review of this case.

I am, etc.,

ANTHONY G. GUMBS

aggumbs@aol.com

Illinois, U.S.A.

Via Go-Jamaica