The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat has been trying for seven years to see the autopsy report of a woman who was beaten to death in 2001, but the report had not been made public.
The case remained unsolved, and the newspaper renewed its request after the state Supreme Court ruled in January that autopsy records are public. The Blair County coroner said she'd release the autopsy report.
But before she could, Bedford County District Attorney Bill Higgins asked a judge to seal it.
Wednesday, he won in court. Judge Thomas Ling said that to release the report would "end the prosecution" because it would reveal details only the killer could know. And the details in the autopsy report, Ling said, "constitutes almost all of the evidence in this case."
The case remained unsolved, and the newspaper renewed its request after the state Supreme Court ruled in January that autopsy records are public. The Blair County coroner said she'd release the autopsy report.
But before she could, Bedford County District Attorney Bill Higgins asked a judge to seal it.
Wednesday, he won in court. Judge Thomas Ling said that to release the report would "end the prosecution" because it would reveal details only the killer could know. And the details in the autopsy report, Ling said, "constitutes almost all of the evidence in this case."
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