The deer stand owner told PI Cody Turner that he had cut the ratchet strap down two years earlier and forgotten it was there, buried under foliage — raising questions about how Tripp found it in the dark.
Where this was said
At 48:05 · chapter starts 45:30
Working from autopsy photos and the ME report, Kentucky-based forensic pathologist Dr. Ashley Matthew found that on paper, Tripp's death appears consistent with ligature hanging — but she cannot opine on body position without scene photos, and she has serious reservations. Her report notes the branch physics problem, the absence of behavioral health evidence supporting a suicide determination, and the overarching context of a law enforcement chase. Her formal conclusion: manner of death should be undetermined. The hosts read her report aloud, including her explicit statement that without more information about Tripp's behavioral and health history, she cannot confidently call this a suicide, and that the role of law enforcement — if any — in his death remains unclear.
Independent forensic pathologist Dr. Ashley Matthew found that the branch Tripp allegedly hung from appeared only about 2 inches in diameter — far below the 5-inch threshold reportedly needed to hold 115 pounds. Tripp weighed 119 pounds, before accounting for drop force.
Independent forensic pathologist Dr. Ashley Matthew found the hanging branch appeared only ~2 inches in diameter — unable to hold Tripp's 119-pound body, per research showing 5-inch branches hold ~115 lbs.
The ratchet strap used in Tripp's hanging allegedly came from a nearby deer stand whose owner told PI Cody Turner he had cut it down two years earlier and forgotten it, buried under foliage. The question of how Tripp found a forgotten strap in pitch darkness — in a place he'd never been — remains unanswered.
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