Michelle O'Connell's body exhumed, autopsy performed

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Michelle O'Connell, a St. Johns County woman whose death in 2010 was ruled a suicide, was exhumed from her burial site on Jan. 11 and an autopsy was also performed on the same day.

O'Connell's family has maintained that she did not commit suicide, pointing to the fact that she was killed by her boyfriend's service weapon. St. Johns County deputy Jeremy Banks was cleared of any wrongdoing.

Private investigator Clu Wright said he could not release the findings of the autopsy, but he did say it uncovered something new.

In 2014, Gov. Rick Scott assigned a special prosecutor to the case. In 2015, State Attorney Jeffrey L. Ashton said the evidence in O'Connell's case did not support homicide.

The investigation into O'Connell's death was the subject of national media coverage by outlets such as The New York Times, CNN, Dateline, PBS Frontline and ABC's Good Morning America.

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