7 Investigates: 30 years later, new questions emerge in a young mother’s death

A young mother was identified dead years ago under strange circumstances Now a mysterious message and concerns about the accuracy of an autopsy are forcing the episode back open My whole life changed when my mom died Lauren Malloy commented It took everything Growing up Lauren Malloy didn t have memories of her mom she only had the ending She was just months old when her mother Lori Lee Malloy was detected dead on the floor of her East Providence apartment in Police discovered the door of her apartment open and Lori Lee Malloy lying naked on her bathroom floor Small tufts of hair were scattered around the apartment and pieces of hair were wrapped around Lori Malloy s hand and foot Slices of bread were also lying next to her The fridge was unplugged and the bathroom faucet was running Investigators called the conditions suspicious and opened a homicide inspection It was just a bizarre scene there was nothing natural about any of that Lauren Malloy announced But days later the Rhode Island Anatomical Examiner s Office listed Lori Malloy s death as natural caused by a rare heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Months later police closed the occurrence citing the medicinal examiner s determination and lack of indication of foul play Lauren Malloy grew up accepting that explanation until She received a Facebook message from a woman who claimed to be one of Lori s old friends She described me my mom had veritably been murdered Lauren Malloy remembered I demanded the answers Lauren Malloy went digging into her mom s development and she started to doubt the original autopsy She brought her concern to Rhode Island s acting chief physiological examiner One of the very first things he noted to me after introductions was I refute the findings I refute the autopsy record Lauren Malloy remembered She reached out to another independent forensic pathologist who also reported her that the cause of death was not supported by the autopsy reports The forensic pathologist wrote in an email the cause and manner of death are unknown unclear after almost years The forensic pathologist also stated her the circumstances of Lori s death should be investigated and or re-investigated by police They aren t the only ones to question the accuracy of the original autopsy Investigates required forensic pathologist and former New Hampshire curative examiner Dr Thomas Andrew to review Lori Malloy s autopsy In my way of thinking based on this information alone the cause of death is still undetermined Dr Andrew stated I don t think the degree of enlargement or hypertrophy would have been enough to explain her death on that day and that time Dr Andrew announced Lori Malloy s heart should have been examined more closely and had further tissue sampling blood work and a full cardiac workup conducted I think had specific of those things been done and yielded an answer we wouldn t be having this conversation he announced Lauren Malloy believes that if the healthcare examiner hadn t ruled her mom s death as natural police would have taken a harder look at the episode I don t think majority people are aware of just how much pull a healthcare examiner has and it is frightening really because once they sign off on something it is incredibly arduous to get that determination changed she noted Dr Andrew commented in his experience the determination of the manner of death can impact additional investigative effort If the forensic pathologist gives a determination with a natural cause that tends to slow down or even stop law enforcement analysis into sudden or unnatural death he revealed In her digging Lauren Malloy also discovered that the practitioner who signed her mother s autopsy document had been disciplined in Massachusetts Massachusetts records show that Dr Francis Krolikowski faced two malpractice indicates related to forensic pathology in and In the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine disciplined Dr Krolikowski for mistakes in reading prostate biopsy slides as well as for poorly interpreting other types of tissue samples while working at Sturdy Memorial Hospital between and The Board put him on probation and prohibited him from practicing surgical pathology In the wake of those findings it was broadcasted that the Rhode Island Medicinal Examiner s office reviewed hundreds of cases Krolikowski handled while serving as the acting chief clinical examiner just months after Lori Malloy s death The state revealed it did not take any disciplinary action against Krolikowski I wouldn t have know that if I hadn t started asking questions if I hadn t started pushing for answers and the greater part families don t think of doing that when their loved one dies Lauren Malloy reported Investigates tried to reach Dr Krolikowski for comment but he announced he doesn t talk to reporters and hung up The Rhode Island Office of the Healthcare Examiner also declined to comment The Rhode Island Attorney General s Office supported Lauren Malloy s search for the truth and reopened her mother s circumstance Lori Malloy s body was exhumed in but Lauren Malloy is still waiting for answers The Rhode Island Attorney General s Office declined to comment on the situation but endorsed it is still under examination Standing at her mother s grave in the current era Lauren Malloy remembers the triumph and hope she felt the last time she was there right after her mother s body was removed It s unfailingly been a constant weight on my heart and my mind and my soul but I feel good that I ve never given up she declared I ve never backed down when it comes to her and I ve pushed her situation forward again and again over every single hurdle Lauren Malloy disclosed every day since then has been another small conquest and another chance to share her mother s story To come here now I see the name I see the dates but the little dash in between I eventually know what that meant and who she was Lauren Malloy stated I m proud of how far we ve come and we are going to finish it Lauren Malloy is working to raise awareness about other unsolved crimes in Rhode Island and to help bring justice for other families She encourages anyone who has questions about an autopsy to speak up and request copies of investigative reports and autopsy findings