Autopsy report suggests Quawan 'Bobby' Charles suffered psychotic episode, committed suicide
IBERIA PARISH, La. (KLFY) The Iberia Parish Coroner's Office released 15-year-old Quawan 'Bobby' Charles' full autopsy report Monday.
In the report, the coroner said Charles may have had a psychotic episode and committed suicide by drowning himself.
Attorneys for Charles' family say that's ridiculous.
"You read it. They say suicide by drowning, although they happen, they are rare. You add that to the fact that he allegedly drowned in a half a foot of water, two feet of water, it kind of makes the idea that he killed himself in that manner not plausible," attorney Ron Haley said.
It's an idea that the Iberia Parish coroner, however, says is possible.
The autopsy report said on October 30, Charles was reportedly consuming drugs, including possible marijuana (THC) and psilocybin mushrooms, at the Irvin family's home.
The Irvins told investigators that Charles passed out after smoking a substance and became combative when he awoke. Allegedly Charles said he was going to kill himself and left their home.
The Iberia Parish coroner pointed to this incident in the autopsy report, suggesting Charles may have been suicidal.
"When he mentions that suicide is a possibility, we have to question that two ways. One... Where is he getting that information from? Likely he's getting that information from the same family that he was with when he disappeared, and that has to come into question," Haley said. "The veracity of what that statement or who that statement was made by and the circumstances on which they made it."
There's more, however, that led the coroner to suggest Charles may have committed suicide.
The toxicology report shows Charles had low levels of THC and alcohol in his system when he died.
No hallucinogenic drugs were in his system, which contradicts a story the Irvin family allegedly told investigators. The Irvins previously said Charles left their home to night of October 30th because he was tripping on mushrooms.
Despite this, the coroner says it's possible that the THC caused hallucinations and psychosis in the teen.
The autopsy report says his psychotic episode was evident by his behavior on October 30, the night he left the Irvin's home.
Witnesses said they saw the boy crawling in culverts that night.
Because his body was found without clothes, the coroner says his undressing further suggests a psychotic episode.
He believes the psychosis could have led Charles to drown himself in the sugarcane ditch.
The coroner said the fact that the Irvin family told investigators that Charles said he wanted to kill himself before he left their home further suggests he may have committed suicide.
"Take what's being said about Quawan with a grain of salt because the folks that are making these statements are the same folks that are the subject of a criminal investigation into his disappearance and death," Haley said. "In my opinion, it appears that they are trying to pass the buck and cover up whatever they did to Quawan."
News Ten reached out to the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office for comment about these new findings.
They said the autopsy report was added to the investigation file and that they are moving to the next phase in the investigation.