By Mark Vester
According to Montreal's La Presse newspaper, a second autopsy conducted on former champion Arturo Gatti has ruled that he died as a result of a hanging, and not from being strangled. Gatti was found dead by his wife Amanda Rodrigues on July 11 in an apartment they were renting in Recife, Brazil.
Gatti's wife was suspected of killing him with a bloody purse strap that was found near the body. Police held her in custody for weeks before an autopsy conducted in Brazil had ruled Gatti's death a suicide and a judge ordered her release. Gatti's family said there was a coverup and had a second autopsy conducted.
Based on the details of the new exam, there were no signs that Gatti was tied up or beaten. But the possibility that Gatti was drugged and then hanged - was not ruled out. Investigators told the paper that it would be "a difficult but not impossible operation."
Toxicologists found a substance in Gatti's body that causes drowsiness. The substance is sold in Brazil. Canadian specialists are now trying to determine whether the amount taken was powerful enough to put Gatti to sleep.
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