More on the Lucille Hamilton case

The toxicology reports have come back in the case of Lucille Hamilton, the 21-year old woman who died suddenly at a ceremony held by Houngan Hector Salva and the Gade Nou Leve Société. According to this article in the September 18, 2009 Philadelphia Inquirer, toxicology reports have come back negative for drugs, alcohol or any other harmful substances. Terry Ray, chair of the Religion department at Temple University, said the report was "exactly what I expected," and added:

The fact that it happened in the context of a voodoo ritual is unfortunate for the voodoo community. But the fact that [toxicology tests] came back negative should help combat any misperceptions.

We can hope that Lucille's family finds peace and healing from their grief. We can also hope that this will help to dispel any lingering malicious gossip about Houngan Hector's actions on the night of her demise. So far, the evidence suggests that Hector and fellow attendees at the ceremony did everything they could for Lucille, including a call to 911 when efforts to revive her failed. Those who will use this case for their own ends are likely to continue picking at Lucille's corpse. Hopefully right-thinking people will examine the evidence at hand and see the vultures for what they are.