Surprising Autopsy Report On Brothers Has Relative Concerned
DENVER (CBS4) - The autopsy report on two young brothers completed in Mesa County this week has an uncle of those boys feeling skeptical.
Rodger Mathena, uncle of William and Tyler Jensen, told CBS4 in Littleton on Tuesday he has trouble believing overheating is the cause of death in the case.
"I don't see how a 2 year old and a 4 year old sitting in an SUV with no jackets or even socks on can die from hyperthermia," said Mathena, a Littleton resident.
Earlier in the day the coroner in Mesa County released a report stating that the boys died from hyperthermia (not hypothermia) and that the deaths were accidental. It was a surprising development in the case, which investigators have been tight lipped about for weeks.
"We are looking into a second opinion and are asking that they reopen it and maybe have another coroner look at it," said Jessica Howard, a family friend.
The youngest boy, William, died on Nov. 27 in the vehicle, which was parked on a rural road in Mesa County near Powderhorn resort. His brother, Tyler, had also been in the car and ended up being transferred to a hospital in Denver where he died a week later.
Heather Jensen, the mother of the boys, allegedly told investigators she left them in the SUV -- which was running -- for more than an hour while she met with someone.
Mathena and Howard told CBS4 they are seeking justice.
"She left her children in a vehicle for over an hour and a half. I'm a mother, I would never leave my child in a car for an hour and a half," Howard said.
CBS4 legal analyst Karen Steinhauser said just because the deaths of the boys was described as an accident by the coroner, that doesn't mean charges won't be filed.
"If the district attorney believes there is sufficient evidence she allowed those children to be placed in that situation then the DA can charge her with felonies," Steinhauser said.
Mathena took part in a candlelit vigil in Littleton for the boys last month. He says the boys were "playful, normal and happy" and always had a smile on their face.
"There's not a day that goes by that we don't think about them," he said on Tuesday.
