In case of Justin Smith, fingerprints were done by NOPD homicide detective David Trahan within days of autopsy and submitted on June 25th, as per their policy, to NOPD. We were notified by NOPD fingerprinting machine was out of order and we were forced to wait for it be repaired. In the process of trying to ID Mr. Smith, without the advantage of identification via fingerprints, the family came in with a photograph, which we used to ID their loved one. My office never stopped the process of trying to ID Justin Smith. We are demanding an apology and retraction from the WWL TV and the Times Picayune, with the same fervor and notoriety for which you misrepresented the facts of this case.

My office followed the accepted standards for identification of unknown decedents.

Coroner, Dr. Dwight McKenna