ISTANBUL/ANKARA

The heart of Beth Louise Eileen Martin, a British citizen who died in a hospital in Türkiye and was later repatriated to her home country, is being examined in labs at the Council of Forensic Medicine to determine the cause of her death.

Beth Louise Eileen Martin (29), who had reportedly suffered food poisoning before traveling to Türkiye, was admitted to Marmara University Prof. Dr. Asaf Ataseven Hospital on April 28.

She passed away during treatment on April 29.

Following a postmortem and autopsy conducted by the Forensic Medicine Morgue Department on April 30, her body was handed over to her husband Luke Martin on May 1.

According to information obtained by Anadolu from the Council of Forensic Medicine regarding the ongoing investigation, no recent traumatic findings were detected on Martin’s body during the examination.

The autopsy also found no evidence of fatal injury under the skin, in soft tissues, bones, or internal organs.

Her coronary arteries were found to be open, with no signs of any new or old damage that could have caused death.

Internationally recognized scientific techniques applied

Due to the heart’s higher-than-expected weight relative to Martin’s age and body weight, the unexplained sudden death at a young age, and the lack of any definitive fatal findings during the autopsy, modern and internationally accepted scientific methods were applied.

Martin’s heart was preserved as a whole in 10% formalin solution for seven days to enable histopathological analysis.

This process aims to detect congenital anomalies in the heart's blood vessels, cellular-level heart muscle diseases, electrical activity irregularities, arrhythmias, valve diseases, malnutrition in heart muscle tissues, and inflammatory heart conditions.

Microbiological, toxicological, and histopathological samples were also collected during the autopsy.

Awaiting final forensic report for cause of death

While laboratory analyses of the collected samples are ongoing at the Council of Forensic Medicine labs, it is expected that the institution will release its final opinion on the exact cause of death within seven to 15 days.

Martin’s heart, still under examination as a whole, will be returned to her family or next of kin, along with the tissue blocks, slides, and any remaining samples, through the public prosecutor's office once the examination is complete.

Meanwhile, due to limitations in the Health Ministry’s Death Notification System, detailed information about the heart being examined as a whole could not be included in the section describing the forensic case.