Since 2017, more than 200 people have been found across Houston’s 2,500 miles of bayous.
Families remain frustrated as they await answers about the cause of death for bodies found in the bayou.
“Some families are not happy because they are yet to find out from medical examiners — the cause unknown,” said Grizzy with Grizzy’s Hood News. “They don’t have answers. Maybe they haven’t ruled on anything yet.”
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Medical examiners, who are scientists, tend to err on the side of caution when there isn’t enough information, especially in cases involving bodies submerged in water for a long time, said Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare.
“In cases of submerged deaths or deaths in water where a body has been in the water for a significant period, it really does make determination of cause of death difficult,” Teare explained.
Lauren Freeman, cousin of Kenneth Cutting Jr., expressed frustration with the investigation.
For 19 months, she has searched for answers about what happened to her cousin. His body was found in a bayou east of downtown Houston in June 2024. Houston police investigated but later closed the case.
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Lauren Freeman shared her concerns after reviewing the medical examiner’s autopsy report. She pointed out several errors that raised red flags.
“The very first autopsy report — and when I say the first, there were mistakes — basically, there were four major mistakes that I saw within the autopsy reports,” Lauren said. “Being a layman, someone not in the medical profession whatsoever, I said, ‘This isn’t right.’”
She cited errors such as:
-The misspelling of the street name where the body was found
-Incorrect height and weight measurements
-A note about medical hardware in the neck — something the family says is impossible because the person never had surgery.
“That immediately threw a huge red flag for me,” Lauren said. “Living in the same house, being as close as we are, the kid never had surgery a day in his life. We knew that.”
These mistakes made Lauren question whether the autopsy was done correctly and if the police received accurate information for their investigation.
When asked if an undetermined cause of death means the investigation ends, Teare said the opposite is true.
“Absolutely not,” Teare said. “The medical examiner’s findings are not the end of a case. In fact, in a lot of cases, they are the beginning of a case. That does not require, nor does it almost ever, result in the closing of the police’s investigation.”
Lauren said the police officially closed the case after reviewing social media, text messages, and emails, finding nothing suspicious. However, she feels the investigation could be reopened if new evidence emerges.
“They told me if more evidence is brought to the table, they will reopen the case,” Lauren said. “What do you want us to bring? What exactly do you need to reopen his case? I feel like there are roadblocks everywhere if I’m being completely transparent.”
Teare emphasized that every case is thoroughly investigated, with homicide detectives and district attorneys pursuing all leads until no further avenues remain.
“There is not a case of an undetermined or determined death that we don’t utilize every resource to find every answer we can,” Teare said.
Lauren remains determined to find answers.
“I’ve been investigating since day one. I’ve done more investigating than they have. And I just keep thinking to myself, like, I can’t stop. I won’t stop.”
KPRC 2 reached out to the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office. Public information officer Shane Hughes sent the following statement:
“This was a clerical error that had no impact on the findings or the cause and manner of death. The error occurred during the report editing process, after the postmortem exam was already completed. The pathological findings and conclusions in the report are correct and supported by the forensic pathologist’s notes, x-rays, and over 50 photographs taken during autopsy. The forensic pathologist communicated the error to the family in an effort to maintain transparency.”
KPRC2 is waiting to hear back from HPD about the Cutting case.
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