The family of Elliot Blair revealed recent details into the California public defender’s mysterious death late Tuesday that maintains their belief he was the victim of a violent crime while vacationing at a Mexican resort together with his wife.
Blair’s heart-stricken family said in a press release the incident that led to the 33-year-old’s death happened in an open-air walkway outside of the front door of their room at their resort — not in a fall off a balcony as has been previously reported by Mexican authorities.
The family said their loved one was present in his underwear, a sleeping t-shirt and socks – and wasn’t intoxicated on the time of his death. Blair and his wife, Kim, who were at Las Rocas Resort and Spa in Rosarito Beach for his or her one-year anniversary, knew the layout of the hotel after having stayed there multiple times previously, the family said.
They alleged Mexican authorities have repeatedly suggested his body be cremated, including as recently as when the family was on the phone with a funeral home liaison Monday. The family said they rebuked that concept because they need his body turned over to them so “an intensive, complete, independent investigation” may be done.
Blair, who was fluent in Spanish, died Saturday with Mexican authorities claiming in local media that it was the results of an accidental fall, the family said.
But those officials quoted have yet to contact them, the family said. The relatives said they still imagine based off their initial investigation he was a “victim of a brutal crime.”
The family also said Blair’s widow has been “given multiple versions of what happened to Elliot.”
The one official who has been in contact with them is the liaison to the coroner’s office, they said.
The family said the liaison told them Monday an autopsy of Blair showed his reason behind death was from severe head trauma and the case was going to be forwarded to the district attorney’s office to probe a possible homicide.
The liaison said a toxicology report was not yet accomplished.
“The family informed the liaison that they might be conducting their very own independent investigation, specifically hiring a non-public investigation firm, retaining an independent forensic pathologist to conduct a medical examination, including their very own toxicology evaluation,” the statement read.
The family slammed the Rosarito Beach Police Department, their district attorney’s office, and other Mexican officials for not yet contacting the family. They imagine “little to no” probing into Blair’s death has taken place up to now by police.
A lawyer since 2017, his family called Blair a “sensible attorney with a shiny future.”
Mother Stella Blair told The Post Tuesday in an exclusive interview she is “beyond devastated” by her son’s death.
“Elliot’s tragic, premature, and suspicious death has left his family and community with an enormous hole of their hearts that can never be repaired,” the family said within the late Tuesday statement.
California private investigator and former police officer John Jenks, who worked with Blair on several cases, told The Post the main points from the family’s statement provided some answers but drew much more questions.
“This is strictly what we’ve got been fearing,” Jenks said. “That is gut-wrenching because when Elliot and I worked together, we discussed the standard of police work. If the police do their job the fitting way, the system works. So to see the dearth of any police investigation and nobody speaking on to the family, is heartbreaking.”
From an expert standpoint, Jenks said there are multiple “red flags,” including how Mexican authorities allegedly immediately suggested that the body must be cremated before the investigation is even accomplished.
“I might definitely investigate this as a canopy up,” Jenks said. “People will not be forthcoming with information and evidence. Clearly, the family believes it’s murder and so they are taking the fitting steps. And based on what they’re saying here, severe head trauma can mean lots of various things.
“The one thing that offers me a glimmer of hope here is that the coroner’s liaison said that there was severe head trauma, and the case has been forwarded to the DA’s Office to conduct a possible homicide investigation,” Jenks added.