Family of Orange County lawyer found dead in Mexico speaks out, says he was the victim of ‘brutal crime’ - KTLA Los Angeles

The household of an Orange County nationalist defender who died successful Mexico portion celebrating his one-year wedding day is speaking retired connected Tuesday, claiming his decease was a “brutal crime.”

Elliot Blair, 33, died aboriginal Saturday astatine Las Rocas Resort and Spa successful Rosarito aft authorities said helium was intoxicated and fell from a fourth-floor balcony, according to Patrulla 646, a quality website successful Mexico.

Blair’s household has released a statement, saying his decease was not an accident.

“The family, which has extended ineligible grooming successful transgression law, wholeheartedly believes based connected their archetypal investigation, that Elliot was the unfortunate of a brutal crime,” said David Scarsone, the family’s attorney.

In the statement, the household says they awaited updates from Mexican authorities, but “no 1 from the Rosarito Beach Police Department, their territory attorney’s bureau oregon immoderate different Mexican officials person reached retired and spoken to them directly.” 

The lone connection the household has received is done a liaison to the coroner’s bureau connected Monday, the connection said.

The liaison indicated Blair’s origin of decease was terrible caput trauma and said the lawsuit had been forwarded to the territory attorney’s bureau for a imaginable homicide investigation. The toxicology study had not been completed astatine the time, the household was told.

Blair’s household told officials they would beryllium conducting their ain probe done a backstage steadfast and retaining their ain forensic pathologist to behaviour a aesculapian introspection and a toxicology report.

“Throughout this full process, it has been suggested by the Mexican authorities that Elliot’s assemblage beryllium cremated,” said Scarsone. “During a speech with the ceremonial location liasion, it was again suggested helium beryllium cremated and the household insisted his assemblage not beryllium cremated successful bid to behaviour a thorough, complete, autarkic investigation.”

Within hours of that conversation, the household said they discovered a quality nonfiction that quoted Mexican officials calling the lawsuit an “unfortunate accident” contempt those officials ne'er reaching retired oregon confirming that item to them.

Blair’s wife, Kim, claims she was fixed “multiple versions of what happened to Elliot,” passim the investigation.

The household says Kim and Elliot person stayed astatine the Las Rocas Resort and Spa successful Rosarito galore times implicit the past 5 years and that Elliot was “very familiar” with the resort’s layout.

Kim said the incidental “did not hap disconnected their room’s backstage balcony, oregon immoderate balcony, for that matter,” and alternatively happened successful an open-air walkway extracurricular of their room’s beforehand door.

The household besides claims Elliot was not intoxicated astatine the clip of his decease and helium was recovered wearing lone his underwear, sleeping garment and socks.

“Due to the insufficiency of the investigation, the household feels compelled to behaviour their ain backstage probe successful hunt for the truth,” said Scarsone.

Blair, who lived successful Orange, had worked for the nationalist defender’s bureau since 2017.

The Orange County Register, which first reported Blair’s death, received a connection from Martin Schwarz, a workfellow successful the Orange County Public Defender’s Office, who said they were moving with U.S. officials to get much information.

“We person been successful connection with the household and are doing what we tin to enactment them successful this hard time, including moving with section and national officials to assistance supply them with answers,” Schwarz told the O.C. Register.

“Elliot was a superb lawyer with a agleam future,” said his family. “Elliot had an innate quality to link with radical from each walks of life. Eliot was a loving husband, son, and brother. Elliot’s tragic, untimely, and suspicious decease has near his household and assemblage with a immense spread successful their hearts that volition ne'er beryllium repaired.”

A GoFundMe campaign was created to enactment Blair’s widow, Kim, with the process of returning Blair’s assemblage to the U.S. and “dealing with each the reddish tape,” according to the organizer, Annie Rodriguez.