Jun 14, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The medical examiner's office plans to release its autopsy report on Terri Schiavo today. Her parents and siblings hope the report will shed light on the cause of the collapse that left her severely brain-damaged 15 years ago, reported the Associated Press.
The 41-year-old woman died March 31, nearly two weeks after her feeding tube was removed under a court order, which was obtained by her husband.
Her death ended a decade-long legal battle between her husband, Michael Schiavo, and her parents, Bob and Mary Schindler. Schiavo argued that his wife did not want to be kept alive artificially, while her parents argued that she was not in a vegetative state and could improve with therapy. They wanted legal custody of their daughter.
Testimony in a 1992 civil trial indicated that her heart stopped probably because of a severe chemical imbalance caused by an eating disorder. However, her parents and siblings do not believe she had an eating disorder and have accused Schiavo of abusing his wife, a charge he denies.