What public medical or forensic evidence has been released about Renee Good’s wounds and autopsy?
Executive summary
Family attorneys have released the preliminary findings of a private autopsy saying Renée Good sustained at least three gunshot wounds — to her left forearm, right chest/breast and a fatal head wound that entered near the left temple and exited the right side — plus a graze wound; the family’s pathologist described two non‑life‑threatening hits and one fatal head wound, but the full autopsy report and the official Hennepin County medical‑examiner findings have not been made public [1] [2] [3]. Key physical evidence — including the officer’s gun and Good’s vehicle — is being retained by federal authorities, and the FBI’s control of the probe has restricted state and local access to forensic materials, limiting independent verification [4] [5].
1. Private autopsy: what the family’s pathologist reported
Lawyers for Good’s family said an independent, privately commissioned autopsy by a “highly respected and credentialed medical pathologist” found she was struck by at least three bullets: one to the left forearm, one to the right chest/breast that did not penetrate major organs, and a third that entered the left side of her head near the temple and exited the right side, with attorneys also reporting a graze wound consistent with a firearm injury [1] [2] [3].
2. Scene and first‑responder observations that align with the autopsy
Publicly released scene reports and first‑responder notes described Good as unresponsive and not breathing at the scene, with the Minneapolis Fire Department documenting two apparent gunshot wounds to the right chest, a wound to the left forearm and “a possible wound with protruding tissue” on the left side of the head along with blood discharging from the ear — descriptions the family’s autopsy team says are consistent with its findings [6] [3].
3. Discrepancies and outstanding questions in the publicly released forensic picture
Reporting varies on whether there were three or four wounds: family lawyers have said four wounds were found but that it was still being determined whether three or four bullets struck her; media outlets and the family’s statement have emphasized three clear penetrating wounds plus a graze, however the full autopsy text has not been released for independent analysis [4] [1].
4. Official autopsy status and limits on public access to evidence
Hennepin County’s official medical‑examiner autopsy results have not been released to the public; county and state officials have been sidelined by the FBI’s control of the federal probe, which also holds physical evidence such as the firearm and vehicle, constraining outside scrutiny and the ability of local prosecutors to independently verify forensic conclusions [1] [4] [5].
5. How different actors are framing the medical findings
Family attorneys and advocates emphasize the head wound as the fatal injury and have used the independent autopsy to press for accountability, while federal authorities have not yet released their forensic conclusions; commentators and legal experts warn that FBI control of the investigation and federal evidence custody could complicate state criminal options and transparent forensic review [2] [5] [7].
6. What remains unknown and what would clarify the record
The public record lacks the full text of the independent autopsy, the Hennepin County examiner’s report, official ballistic analyses, and chain‑of‑custody documentation for the gun and vehicle; until those documents or findings are released, independent corroboration of bullet trajectories, calibers, firing distances, and whether any wounds overlapped or resulted from the same projectile remains unavailable in the public domain [1] [4].
7. Why the limits on forensic transparency matter
Forensic detail — specific wound trajectories, toxicology, matching bullets to a weapon and an unbroken chain of custody — is essential to evaluate use‑of‑force and potential criminal liability; the current public evidence base rests on a family‑commissioned preliminary autopsy and scene descriptions, while federal sequestration of key materials and the absence of a released official autopsy mean central medico‑legal questions are unresolved [2] [5].