The Chanda Turner Reform Act (SB250) has been signed into law, and will go into effect Nov. 1, 2011! Families can now appeal their loved-ones' death certificates!

(Submitted by Leona Ely, Truman's widow): 

TRUMAN JACOB ELY retired with over 34 years of distinguished service to our Country, receiving a letter of appreciation from the Department of the Navy on 31 Oct 1996.  He was an expert gunsmith, and at the time of his death was still engaged in the repair of firearms as a hobby.

In 2003, Truman and is beloved wife, Leona, were in the process of building a new home in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma.  By all accounts of those closest to him, Truman was in good spirits and was neither discouraged nor depressed at or around the time of his accidental death.    

On February 17, 2003, Truman died from an accidental gunshot wound to the face.  He was trying to fix a gun for a friend because the safety on the pistol did not work.  In photographs taken at the scene, gun repair tools are clearly visible on the dresser just one step behind where Mr. Ely's body was found. Just a few days before, Mr. Ely's hip had begun to give him great difficulty. There was also a significant family history of of cardiac problems. He died while his wife was at home, and she called 911 immediately after finding him fallen between the dresser and the bed in a pool of blood.  The gun found underneath his body was the broken gun he had been working on.  This was all reported to the non-physician Medical Examiner Investigator who arrived at the scene.  She informed Leona Ely that in her opinion, Truman had committed suicide and "there will be no autopsy."

Without an autopsy, the ME's Office failed rule out cardiac arrest or stroke as the event leading to Truman dying while he was handling a broken gun.  The photographs of the scene support the family's assertion that he was standing by the dresser on which the gun cleaning kit was located and working on the gun when he must have tensed during a cardiac episode and turned to try to get to his bed. His mobility was limited due to the hip problem he was having, and he either lost his balance or tensed up while holding a pistol without a working safety.  The gun discharged, and he collapsed with his body only partially on the bed.  The photographs depict him half on, half off the bed with his feet twisted, exactly as if he fell while turning. There was a lack of stipling on Mr. Ely's face, indicatng the gun was held at arm's length while he was working on it when it discharged, as opposed to holding it up to his mouth or head as would be the case in a suicide.  There was no suicide note.  There was no history of suicidal thought or depression.  There were no statements made to anyone Truman knew to indicate he was leading anything but a happy life of retirement, excited about building his new home with his wife of 35 years.

Leona Ely has attempted for seven (7) years to get her husband's manner of death changed from sucide to accidental.  It is an insult to her husband's memory to taint it with "suicide" in a case where no autopsy was done to rule out an intervening cardiac arrest or stroke, combined with the lack of mobility he was experiencing at the time due to his hip while cleaning a broken gun.  Truman Ely's exemplary service career, his character, his love of his family and of life, all deserve better than to have a non-physician spend a few minutes at a death scene and deny the family an autopsy conducted by a physician or an opportunity to present evidence contrary to an incorrect initial determination at a hearing.  

Our underfunded ME's Office saves money by improperly classifying deaths "suicide" to avoid the time and expense of transporting the body and performing an autopsy as should be required by State law.  Currently families are then denied any meaningful opportunity to challenge a death "investigator's" ruling through an appeals process. Oklahomans deserve better.  Truman Ely deserves better.  He left behind a loving wife, two children and three grandchildren. They deserve better.

Leona Ely has joined in our struggle to effect a legislative overhaul of the ME's Office that will give families a full and fair hearing and opportunity to be heard, so that errors in their loved-ones cases will be corrected.   

Truman and his wife, Leona.

Read AFFIDAVITS prepared by Truman's friends and family disputing the "suicide" ruling by clicking here.

One of the problems the CHANDA TURNER REFORM BILL seeks to address is to force a change in the law to give greiving families a meaningful opportunity to be heard and have mistakes corrected through an appeals process.

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