The pivotal turning point in the case rested inside the autopsy suite of the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. When chief medical examiners evaluated Jackson’s body, they encountered injuries that simple submersion could not explain. The coroner autopsy report detailed dozens of separate contusions, lacerations, and abrasions across her body, face, and head.
Pathologists documented acute blunt force trauma to her lips, bruising across her jawline, and patterned abrasions that suggested physical restraint. Microscopic examination of lung tissues and fluid retention indicated asphyxiation, but the surrounding physical trauma told a much darker story. Investigators observed distinct defensive wounds on her forearms and hands, common when an individual attempts to ward off an aggressive physical assault.
Forensic experts testifying during subsequent court proceedings pointed out that Jackson weighed roughly 120 pounds, while Bohana was a physically imposing man weighing well over 200 pounds. The distribution of injuries indicated she had been beaten and strangled before or during immersion in the water. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office determined that the combination of strangulation marks and blunt force trauma warranted criminal charges, formally shifting the status from a death inquiry to a homicide investigation.
