Parker autopsy released

The autopsy of David L. Parker, Sr., who died Wednesday after a domestic dispute in his Linton home, has revealed he died of manual strangulation.

Greene County coroner Dr. William Powers received the official word after the autopsy was performed Thursday at the Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis.

"According to the autopsy he suffered a fracture of the thyroid cartilage (voice box area), bleeding in the muscles of the neck and abrasions on his head, nose and lip," Dr. Powers told The Daily Citizen this morning.

According to a search warrant affidavit filed in Greene Circuit Court on Wednesday morning, Barbara Parker told Linton Officer Karl Jacobshagen, "at approximately 6:30 a.m. she was in the shower preparing to go for a job interview."

The Parkers began arguing, "he was complaining that she would get up early for other people, but not for him," according to court documents.

In the search warrant affidavit it states, "She finished with her shower and exited the bathroom in her robe. She returned to the bedroom and the argument resumed. She said that he became violent. She said that he grabbed her by the robe and shoved her up against the bedroom closet door. At some point during the dispute, David L. Parker, Jr., entered the bedroom.

"During the altercation the deceased tripped over the bed and fell face first on to the floor. She said that she and her son got on top of the victim. She said that she grabbed her husband's arm and bent it back behind his back to hold him on the floor.

"She said that her son lay across (Parker's) head and shoulder area. The two of them held him there until they noticed that he quit struggling. At that time they noticed he was not breathing," according to court documents.

Samantha Rhodes (Barbara Parker's cousin) and David L. Parker, Jr. tried to revive him at that time.

Parker was pronounced dead at Greene County General Hospital.

Police will meet with Greene County prosecutor David Powell and deputy prosecutor Cheryl Stone to go over the results of the autopsy report on Tuesday.