A federal judge has ruled that Derek Chauvin’s defense team may access tissue samples from George Floyd’s heart as part of an appeal challenging his convictions. The discovery request aims to explore a new theory about Floyd’s cause of death, which Chauvin’s attorneys argue was not fully investigated during the original trial.
Chauvin, convicted of second-degree unintentional murder and federal civil rights violations, is serving over 40 years in prison. His legal team claims that a Kansas pathologist, Dr. William Schaetzel, proposed Floyd’s death may have been caused by conditions unrelated to Chauvin’s restraint techniques.
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BREAKING: A federal judge has ruled for Derek Chauvin and ordered that George Floyd's heart tumor must be tested to determine if it played a role in his death
The information about the heart tumor was not presented to Chauvin in the trialpic.twitter.com/FeHBuyRgqw
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) December 17, 2024
Schaetzel’s theory centers on Takotsubo myocarditis and elevated catecholamine levels, both of which are linked to extreme stress. Chauvin’s appeal alleges that his previous attorney, Eric Nelson, failed to test Floyd’s heart tissue or present Schaetzel’s findings during the trial.
The judge’s decision allows Chauvin’s team to examine autopsy materials, including histology slides, that were used to secure his convictions. These samples could provide evidence supporting Schaetzel’s claims, according to the defense.
At long long last, a judge officially acknowledges the fact that George Floyd was alive when he arrived at the hospital to get his antemortem blood samples collected. https://t.co/HU61mUhGdS pic.twitter.com/Lx24FkDz8e
— ~~datahazard~~ (@fentasyl) December 17, 2024
Chauvin has also argued that Nelson’s handling of the case constituted ineffective counsel, affecting his ability to make informed legal decisions, including his guilty plea on federal charges.
