Help sought to determine cause of death of Marpi remains

The Attorney General’s Office will consult Guam’s chief medical examiner, Dr. Aurelio Espinola, to determine the cause of death of the remains found in Marpi last Saturday.

This developed as the Department of Public Safety said yesterday that police investigators are still waiting for family members of Alex M. Matubis to provide them with his dental records that are needed to link the remains to the surveyor.

In an interview, Chief Prosecutor Kevin Lynch said they usually call Dr. Espinola to perform forensic examination or autopsies when they have questions as to cause of death or violent death.

Lynch said they usually use Espinola’s services when they suspect that there may be criminal liability or other circumstances that they feel requires an autopsy.

With respect to the Marpi remains, the chief prosecutor said that, even though it’s been reported that the remains are just bones, that would not end the inquiry.

“There’s still a lot of scientific examination that is possible. So once we get some facts from DPS, we will consult with [Espinola] regarding what’s the next best step in the investigation,” he said.

Lynch said the cause of death of the skeletal remains could possibly be determined through a forensic examination.

“There have been cases, especially in other jurisdictions, where an examination of the bones or examination of the clothing in conjunction with the examination of the skeleton can tell a lot of the manner of death. So that’s something that we will certainly discuss with him and send him reports and possibly photographs and other information, consult with him about the best course to take,” Lynch said.

Dr. Espinola, according to the chief prosecutor, is a “very experienced forensic pathologist” who has been of great assistance to CNMI authorities when they review facts and decide what direction to take in an investigation.

DPS Criminal Investigation Bureau’s acting commander Sgt. Sylvan Rangamar on Tuesday stated that the remains found in Marpi are “presumptive positive” as that of missing Matubis based on the items—driver’s license and wedding ring—recovered from the remains.

The 47-year-old surveyor came back to Saipan from Tinian last July 29. He was supposed to go back that afternoon to Tinian but he never showed up. His employer reported him missing on July 30 last year.

Last Aug. 19, investigators found Matubis’ company-service pickup abandoned near Kalabera Cave after receiving a call from one of three persons who saw the vehicle.

The remains were found near a cow fence (not at the fence) of a farm that is located about a 10-minute drive west of Kalabera Cave, according to DPS.

Matubis and a surveyor-helper conducted a survey in the Kalabera Cave area a few weeks before he was reported missing.