The California lawyer who was killed in Mexico while on a visit along with his wife to rejoice their first wedding anniversary died because of this of an “unlucky accident,” officials ruled – despite claims of criminality by his family.
Orange County assistant public defender Elliot Blair, 33, died Saturday in Rosarito Beach, on the Baja Peninsula just south of the northern border with the US at Tijuana, in response to county Public Defender Martin Schwarz.
His family and colleagues have claimed on a GoFundMe page that the young attorney “was the victim of a brutal crime.”
Nonetheless, the Baja California Attorney General’s Office ruled after an autopsy that Blair’s death gave the impression to be the “results of an unlucky accident from a fall by the now deceased from a third-story floor,” the Orange County Register reported.
Blair and his wife, Kim, a fellow public defender, were staying at the luxurious Las Rocas Resort and Spa in Rosarito, about 40 miles south of San Diego, when he died.
Mexican authorities said in a temporary statement cited by the Register that the investigation is ongoing and that they’re involved with the US Justice Department and the FBI.
David Scarsone, an attorney for the family, expressed skepticism that Blair simply fell off the third-floor balcony and said he would conduct a separate probe.
“There are a lot of unanswered questions. (The family) is pushing back on that conclusion (by Mexican authorities),” Scarsone told the paper.
Local authorities told news outlet Patrulla 646 Código Rojo that hotel staff called police about 1:15 a.m. after finding Blair’s body, the Register reported.
Investigators claimed to have found evidence that Blair was inebriated on the time of his death, the outlet reported.
John Jenks, a non-public investigator who has worked with Blair said it felt like a “gut punch” when he heard about his death.
“He knew the law, he was well prepared, his courtroom presentation was outstanding, right down to earth, relatable, and he knew the cases in and out,” Jenks told NBC Los Angeles.
“I don’t have the words to capture how badly I feel for his colleagues, for his wife, for his family,” he said, adding that regardless how Blair died, the loss is “heartbreaking.”
Jenks mourned the “good, caring and compassionate man who really played a major role in people’s lives that he represented.”
The fundraiser said the couple “have been dedicated Public Defenders in Orange County” since 2017, the yr Elliot passed the bar exam.
“Elliot was often known as a patient and caring advocate. He was the perfect of us and was loved by countless members of our office and the Orange County legal community. We’re heartbroken,” the post said.
“Elliot was known for a smile on his face and a clever mind. There should not enough words to specific the extent of affection he had for Kim. Kim was his life,” it continued.
“They simply began constructing a life together of their first yr of marriage. Elliot was killed on their one yr wedding anniversary. Kim’s heart is shattered,” the GoFundMe page added.
The California lawyer who was killed in Mexico while on a visit along with his wife to rejoice their first wedding anniversary died because of this of an “unlucky accident,” officials ruled – despite claims of criminality by his family.
Orange County assistant public defender Elliot Blair, 33, died Saturday in Rosarito Beach, on the Baja Peninsula just south of the northern border with the US at Tijuana, in response to county Public Defender Martin Schwarz.
His family and colleagues have claimed on a GoFundMe page that the young attorney “was the victim of a brutal crime.”
Nonetheless, the Baja California Attorney General’s Office ruled after an autopsy that Blair’s death gave the impression to be the “results of an unlucky accident from a fall by the now deceased from a third-story floor,” the Orange County Register reported.
Blair and his wife, Kim, a fellow public defender, were staying at the luxurious Las Rocas Resort and Spa in Rosarito, about 40 miles south of San Diego, when he died.
Mexican authorities said in a temporary statement cited by the Register that the investigation is ongoing and that they’re involved with the US Justice Department and the FBI.
David Scarsone, an attorney for the family, expressed skepticism that Blair simply fell off the third-floor balcony and said he would conduct a separate probe.
“There are a lot of unanswered questions. (The family) is pushing back on that conclusion (by Mexican authorities),” Scarsone told the paper.
Local authorities told news outlet Patrulla 646 Código Rojo that hotel staff called police about 1:15 a.m. after finding Blair’s body, the Register reported.
Investigators claimed to have found evidence that Blair was inebriated on the time of his death, the outlet reported.
John Jenks, a non-public investigator who has worked with Blair said it felt like a “gut punch” when he heard about his death.
“He knew the law, he was well prepared, his courtroom presentation was outstanding, right down to earth, relatable, and he knew the cases in and out,” Jenks told NBC Los Angeles.
“I don’t have the words to capture how badly I feel for his colleagues, for his wife, for his family,” he said, adding that regardless how Blair died, the loss is “heartbreaking.”
Jenks mourned the “good, caring and compassionate man who really played a major role in people’s lives that he represented.”
The fundraiser said the couple “have been dedicated Public Defenders in Orange County” since 2017, the yr Elliot passed the bar exam.
“Elliot was often known as a patient and caring advocate. He was the perfect of us and was loved by countless members of our office and the Orange County legal community. We’re heartbroken,” the post said.
“Elliot was known for a smile on his face and a clever mind. There should not enough words to specific the extent of affection he had for Kim. Kim was his life,” it continued.
“They simply began constructing a life together of their first yr of marriage. Elliot was killed on their one yr wedding anniversary. Kim’s heart is shattered,” the GoFundMe page added.
