Same-Sex Marriage Bill REJECTED in New York State Senate
UPDATE: City To Remove 14 Blocks Of Bike Lanes On Bedford Ave.
Catholic League Pissed at PETA
Hamster Rides The 4 Train
Bouncer Beatdown at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club
Five days after autopsy results gave additional confirmation that Diane Schuler's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit with further indication that she had been smoking marijuana before the Taconic car wreck that killed eight, her husband Daniel and lawyer Dominic Barbara took to the airwaves on Larry King Live last night, saying they would once again challenge those results.
Barbara said that the Schuler family is now asking for the body to be exhumed in order to clear Mrs. Schuler's name. Barbara noted that a private investigator revealed that Mrs. Schuler bought an over-the-counter pain medication along the trip home before the crash and also claimed that charring that occurred to her body could have turned blood sugar into alcohol. Barbara said he believes that there is enough evidence for a second autopsy to be performed.
Daniel Schuler told Larry King, "The truth will come out. I know my wife was not drinking; she does not drink, very rarely. There's an error somewhere. She was a perfect wife, outstanding mother, reliable person, trustworthy. I would marry her again tomorrow. She was awesome. She was the best." Newsday says he "ducked questions" about his wife's marijuana usage and deferred them to Barbara. Diane Schuler's sister-in-law Jay Schuler said, "She can’t rest in peace until we can clear her. Diane would want us to do this, to fight for her.” Former NYC chief medical examiner Dr. Michael Baden, who currently works for the state police, told Newsday the Westchester ME should have conducted a hair test, "It often isn't done. But when eight people die, that's different. I think it would have been prudent to do."
The lawyer for family members of crash victims Michael and Guy Bastardi has had little tolerance for Mr. Schuler's denials about his wife's substance usage and turned up the heat in his response after the King appearance. Attorney Irving Anolik said, "Daniel Schuler is an absolute liar or else he is trying to perpetrate a hoax in this matter." There was also word from the a representative for family members of the other victim in the crash, Daniel Longo. His family said claims denying Diane Schuler's responsibility for this tragedy are "appalling, offensive and hurtful."
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
I feel bad for this guy, despite his unlikely interpretation of the incident and his late wife's drinking and drugs habit.
I understand what the husband is trying to do. But what is gained by playing it out in the public arena before you have any results? If you exhume and the same conclusion is reached, you just look like an even bigger asshole.
I agree he does appear that way. Not sure what I would do if I were in his shoes. I would have to assume he and his lawyer have a concerted strategy here. I think he is just so vilified at this moment, he has no choice but to come out swinging. The evidence is so overwhelming. Could the problem have been hidden from him and the rest of the family?
I don't think that's a safe assumption. Clearly they're grasping at straws with this 'fire turned sugar to alcohol' business, and the insistence that she had a stroke even through it had been ruled out.
Aside from that, though, what is the point of "coming out swinging"? They're not going to get anywhere without solid evidence that disputes the current set of facts.
I can only see downsides to talking to the press. (And this is true in just about every situation, imo)
I'm inclined to agree. But I think this process is healthy though. It's good that he's trying his best. Our legal system will sort it out eventually. But didn't the DA decline to press charges already? Is the gov't still trying to get him on a criminal angle?
By doing this the results will be a matter of public record his injured son can, and will, check out.
How could this be healthy for a crash victim kid who also lost his mother and sisters?
Not from the kid's point of view, no. If he's lying, though, God help him. It'll all come out.
childcare FAIL
head in sand award.
That big river in Egypt....runs near the pyramids....what's that called.....
@sleepy:
you win. best gothamist comment of the decade.
If not for Dominic Barbara's awful spray tan him and Schuler would look like no-necked twins.
The fire turned her blood sugar into alcohol. Yeah, that's the ticket.
That's how they make alcohol in jail. Good ol' blood alcohol.
Whatever. They guy did NOTHING! His wife did, so what? It isn't like he didn't lose anything. He lost his wife, his kids, his brothers kids, Gsus!
Leave the guy alone. I'm sorry but those Bastardi's are living up to their name.
ENOUGH!
If he really truly wanted to be left alone, what exactly is he doing on Larry King Live? That, to me, says scores about his priorities. There's denial, and then there's pathological denial. Seems as though he falls into the latter?
Then he should shut up and stop defending her, especially if [or rather, because] she's guilty.
He should apologize for the deaths that his wife's reckless acts caused and accept responsibility. All this is doing is buying him time and wasting taxpayer dollars.
No, you can cook hyperglycemic blood all you want, it will not turn glucose to alcohol. And will not turn stomach sugar into grams of ethanol. And a hair test will only show past exposure, not exposure on the date of death. That would only be useful in proving (if positive) past exposure. I feel for the husband, his head must be totally messed right now. I do not have any positive feelings about his attorney, who is only milking this for his own benefit, while denying all of the surviving family members a chance to accept reality and reach some sense of resolution. Twas sad on the day it happened, and every day this circus continues makes it even sadder for everyone. I wish we all had Mr Barbara's mom's info, so we could let her know what her son does for his living. If alive, she must be either uninformed or truly ashamed. If that were my son, I'd make sure he learned the error of his ways. Shame, Mr Barbara. You are a waste of DNA, and a blight upon society.
Why does he take care of his only son that he has left & shut the fuck up already ... enough!!
The relevant question, Mr. Schuler, is what was your wife dreading about returning to LI so very much that drinking herself into oblivion was the better option?
Or would answering that one incriminate you? I have to wonder.
If fire changed sugar into alcohol, then BBQ sauce would have made every barbeque I went to this year into an inferno. And wouldn't the other crash site bodies have the same results?
Did anyone bother to check this stuff with a chemist? I'm guessing: Not so much.
this guy desperately needs a neck.
Dude, Your wife was a stoned out lush who murdered 7 people; get used to it.
Clearly he has been drinking too much soda
Meanwhile, nobody's turned up a liquor store clerk who said she was a steady customer. Nobody's found a bartender that said she was in his joint every night or once a week. If she was drinking that steadily someone had to know it and nobody's come forward. I was as sure as anyone else she was guilty but now there is a modicum of doubt.
But the "modicum of doubt" is not "beyond a reasonable doubt" or even "by a preponderance of the evidence". Occam rules, the hoofbeats be horses, not zebras, she was not abducted by aliens who introduced ethanol and cannabis into her system moments before her (and others') death(s). Everything reasonable points to her getting wasted while driving. Your "modicum of doubt" proposition would assure that anyone who robs/rapes/kills you would remain forever unpunished, and no person's guilt could never be derived from simple reason. It was what it was, sad as it was (and is). Deal with it. Regardless of what inspired her to do such a thing, it was her responsibilty alone. And it was her fault in taking so many innocent lives with her own. Should have just offed herself in private, left a note, and spared the others who held no responsibility. I doubt any of the doubters would be so questioning if any member of their family (or, on this board, an anonymous cyclist) were killed by a wasted driver. she f-cked up royally. The results of her selfishness are nothing but obvious.
Are you suggesting a lynch party? She's dead. I too think the occurrence was one of the worst things I ever read about. But she has surviving family as well and, in fairness, they should be heard also. Nothing will bring back the victims.