Inside Bob Sagets autopsy – unexpected death, legal battle and final report

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Bob Saget was a beloved national treasure in the US.

The Full House actor tragically passed away in January this year at the age of 65.

The stand-up comedian was in the middle of a nationwide tour at the time of his sudden passing, shocking the world.

Following speculation Bob may have 'suffered a heart attack or stroke', the late star's family confirmed he had actually died as the result of 'head trauma' – as confirmed by his autopsy.

The chief medical examiner of Orange and Osceola counties revealed that the actor had serious skull fractures and in an unusual twist, Bob's family later filed a lawsuit to block the release of records from the investigation into his death.

On the date the star would have turned 66, Daily Star looks at his autopsy.

Shock death

Bob Saget was found dead in his hotel room at The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Orlando on January 9.

The actor had performed a stand-up show the previous evening and was in the middle of touring the US at the time of his shock passing.

Hours before his death, the comedian posted to Twitter and called his wife Kelly Rizzo, 42, in good spirits.

His body was discovered tucked in his hotel bed, leading police to initially assume the actor had passed away in his sleep from a possible heart attack or stroke.

Following an autopsy, the results proved a lot more surprising.

Autopsy findings

A month after his death on February 9, Bob's family confirmed that he had died as a result of head trauma.

In a statement, they said: "They have concluded that he accidentally hit the back of his head on something, thought nothing of it and went to sleep."

A twist came when the chief medical examiner of Orange and Osceola counties spoke out two days later.

Bob's death was ruled accidental with no suspected foul play, though the medical official claimed Bob had sustained a catalogue of injuries to his head, including "significant" skull fractures.

As Dr. Gavin Britz, the chair in neurosurgery at Houston Methodist Hospital, told the New York Times: "This is significant trauma.

"This is something I find with someone with a baseball bat to the head, or who has fallen from 20 or 30 feet."

Family battle

A week after the chief medical examiner's comments, Bob's family petitioned to permanently block the release of records from the investigation into his death.

The surprise suit – filed by Bob's widow Kelly and his three daughters Aubrey, Lara, and Jennifer from a previous relationship – requested that no further information regarding Bob's death be released by the medical examiner's office or the Orange County Sheriff's office in the form of an injunction.

This included the release of any photographs, video or audio recordings, and 'statutorily protected autopsy information'.

In their filing, the family's lawyers claimed that the family would "suffer irreparable harm in the form of extreme mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress if Defendants release the Records in response to public records requests or otherwise disseminate the Records for any other reason or purpose" (via ABC News).

In March, a Florida judge granted the family's request.

Final report

Also in March, the Orange County Sheriff's office released a final report of their investigation into Bob's passing.

While the circumstances leading to the star's death remain largely a mystery, and it remains unclear how Bob received his significant head injuries, investigators concluded their report by speculating that he may have slipped on a carpeted floor and struck his head.

Their findings also revealed that bottles of prescription and over-the-counter medicines were found in his hotel room.

Further details from the report were blocked from publication by his family's injunction.

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