# David Kelly/body found story ... why no cause of death mentioned? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 18, 2003, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kelly-body-found-story-why-no-cause-of-death-mentioned/189384 "2003-07-18T13:36:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kelly-body-found-story-why-no-cause-of-death-mentioned/189384/1 "2003-07-18T13:36:55Z")
This AP story > **[Newsday | Long Island's & NYC's News Source](https://www.newsday.com)** > > Breaking News, data & opinions in business, sports, entertainment, travel, lifestyle, plus much more. Newsday.com is the leading news source for Long Island & NYC. goes on and on about David Kelly’s involvement with the WMD intel criticism, and says that the body has not been formally identified … but it doesn’t mention one word about suspected cause of death–or even say “officials have not yet released a statement as to the suspected cause of death”. Kind of odd … why is this? Is it just breaking news that’s too fresh (i.e., they took their old story file, describing Kelly’s role in recent events, and just tacked on the paragraph or two at the beginning saying that a body had been found … and in 20 minutes we’ll know more)? Or is this the usual MO for British reporting? Is it considered bad form to discuss cause of death, etc., before other details (ID of victim, etc.) are known? Or are the cops very tight-lipped about such matters to the press? Or am I just reading too much into this (to me, rather glaring) omission? ---
**Author:** ![APB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kelly-body-found-story-why-no-cause-of-death-mentioned/189384/2 "2003-07-18T14:23:38Z")
Yes, you are reading too much into this. The police will wait until the body has been formally identified before confirming the identity and will wait until they get the autopsy report before commenting on the cause of death. The press will then report that information. It is not unknown for the police to brief journalists ‘off the record’ (sound familiar?) and the fact that they’ve made this statement suggests that they think it’s probably him, but everyone will prefer to wait and then report the hard facts. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kelly-body-found-story-why-no-cause-of-death-mentioned/189384/3 "2003-07-18T14:34:23Z")
Yeah, it’s too early. Besides, it’s a pretty serious accusation to be levelling at Horlicks. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kelly-body-found-story-why-no-cause-of-death-mentioned/189384/4 "2003-07-18T14:35:48Z")
> **[Kelly: Blair promises public inquiry](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/jul/18/bbc.politicsandiraq1)** > > 2.45pm update: Tony Blair has promised an independent judicial inquiry if the death of David Kelly is confirmed, journalists travelling with the prime minister on his flight from Washington to Tokyo have said. By Jason Deans. > [@](#): > > The development comes as Thames Valley police confirmed the description of the body found near Dr Kelly’s home in Oxfordshire matched that of the MoD scientist. > > A spokesman confirmed there would be no formal identification until tomorrow. > > “We are currently treating this incident as an unexplained death and we will have to wait for the results of the postmortem,” he said. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kelly-body-found-story-why-no-cause-of-death-mentioned/189384/5 "2003-07-18T15:17:54Z")
Thanks for that link, Demo. And hawthorne-- “Horlicks” ? ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kelly-body-found-story-why-no-cause-of-death-mentioned/189384/6 "2003-07-18T16:18:40Z")
“Horlicks” is the euphemistic description given by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to the first draft of the discredited report and the way it had been released, in a statement to the relevant parliamentary committee. It’s a brand name for a milky/malty drink like Ovaltine, but sounds a bit like “bollocks”. [The latest story from the BBC’s site](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3076801.stm) claims that the police have admitted that the body they found matches Dr Kelly’s appearance, but… > [@](#): > > Acting superintendent Dave Purnell said formal identification would take place on Saturday and the case was being treated as an “unexplained death”. which is standard procedure. The man’s family need to be told first and only when they’ve had a chance to make a formal identification would an official statement be made. There’s nothing suspicious in the delay – why would the public need to know before the guy’s wife? Naturally it will be the lead item on tonight’s news so more may emerge before tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kelly-body-found-story-why-no-cause-of-death-mentioned/189384/7 "2003-07-18T20:24:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by toadspittle \* > \*\*but it doesn’t mention one word about suspected cause of death–or even say “officials have not yet released a statement as to the suspected cause of death”. > > Kind of odd \*\* But doesn’t the link you provide include the phrase “The cause of death was yet unknown.” … or am I seeing things? Julie ---
**Author:** ![johncole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@johncole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johncole)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kelly-body-found-story-why-no-cause-of-death-mentioned/189384/8 "2003-07-19T17:09:32Z")
TV News bulletin reports that the cause of death is now confirmed as “loss of blood”. Knife and bottle of co-proxamol (prescription pain-killer) found nearby. This would have been obvious when the body was first located, but the police would have required a postmortem to eliminate other causes and confirm toxicology. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kelly-body-found-story-why-no-cause-of-death-mentioned/189384/9 "2003-07-19T17:32:09Z")
I heard a news report that he slashed one wrist ,and died as a result of blood loss ,pain killers were found beside him. Declan ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kelly-body-found-story-why-no-cause-of-death-mentioned/189384/10 "2003-07-20T12:04:50Z")
Yep… what \*\* Declan \*\* said is what the Sunday Times reported this morning also. > **[The Times & The Sunday Times](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/)** > > News and opinion from The Times & The Sunday Times ---
**Author:** ![Reuben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/54ee81/32.png) [@Reuben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reuben)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kelly-body-found-story-why-no-cause-of-death-mentioned/189384/11 "2003-07-20T15:07:21Z")
Hmmm… a heart attack while out walking I’d have bought. But a highly respected academic killing himself as a result of the ‘stress’ of being mildly browbeaten by some footling committee of second-rate MPs? A man with a reputation for toughness in his many years of dealing with intractable Iraqi officials. A man who, just before his death, said in an email that [he was determined to overcome the scandal surrounding him and was enthusiastic about the possibility of returning to Iraq](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3080795.stm). If this really is suicide, it seems a very unlikely one. IMHO it stinks to high heaven. But who might kill him, and why? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kelly-body-found-story-why-no-cause-of-death-mentioned/189384/12 "2003-07-20T17:26:25Z")
I thought this was about David _E._ Kelly, beloved creator of such fine television programming as “The Practice,” “Ally McBeal,” and “Boston Public.” ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-kelly-body-found-story-why-no-cause-of-death-mentioned/189384/13 "2003-07-20T17:33:07Z")
I thought this was about David _E._ Kelly, beloved creator of such fine television programming as “The Practice,” “Ally McBeal,” and “Boston Public.”