What specifically did the Fairfax County autopsy report state about the wound and toxicology in Vince Foster's death?
Executive summary
The Fairfax County autopsy report on Vincent W. Foster Jr. documented a single gunshot wound to the head that entered through the mouth and, in the official autopsy, exited the back of the skull; the autopsy form and subsequent public summaries describe an exit defect roughly reported as about 1 x 1.25 inches [1] [2]. The toxicology is referenced in the autopsy materials and investigative reports, but the sources provided here do not supply the toxicology values or a full toxicology table, so this account must note both what the autopsy explicitly recorded about the wound and the limits of available reporting on toxicology [1] [3] [4].
1. The wound as recorded in the Fairfax County autopsy
The Fairfax County autopsy report, as reproduced in public archives, records a gunshot wound entering the mouth and describes an exit defect in the posterior skull in the official paperwork; the body of public reporting and the autopsy file identify the fatal injury as a gunshot through the oral cavity with an exit through the back of the head [1] [5]. Multiple publicly cited accounts note the autopsy language that a wound track extended from the mouth toward the occiput and that the autopsy practitioner checked boxes and produced anatomical sketches documenting a mouth-to-posterior-head trajectory [1] [2].
2. The reported size and character of the exit defect
At least one contemporary report citing the autopsy described the exit defect in the back of the head as measuring about 1 by 1.25 inches; that measurement has been repeated in secondary outlets as part of disputes about the mechanics of the shooting [2]. The official autopsy illustrations and notes are the source for the assertion that bone perforation was present in the posterior calvarium, and the autopsy paperwork accordingly treated the wound as having both entry and exit components in the cranial vault [1] [2].
3. Areas of dispute recorded in reporting about neck versus head wounds
Multiple accounts and later investigators recorded disagreement among paramedics, scene personnel and subsequent summaries over whether a separate neck wound or a mouth-to-neck track was observed at the scene; some scene observers described blood on the right side of the neck or a perceived neck wound while the formal autopsy report completed by the Fairfax County Medical Examiner did not list a distinct neck wound as a separate external perforation [6] [7]. This mismatch between initial scene impressions and the written autopsy findings has been a persistent source of controversy, and the public record includes both the autopsy documents and contemporaneous testimonies asserting different descriptions [1] [6].
4. What the autopsy paperwork and investigative reports say about powder burns and metallic fragments
The forensic paperwork and later summaries note that sections of the autopsy forms dealing with soot or powder burns and recovery of metallic fragments drew scrutiny: some contemporaneous critiques and Congressional remarks pointed out blanks or negative notations for powder burns in the autopsy charts and raised questions about whether metallic fragments were recovered or recorded [8] [3]. Those critiques are part of the public record and were highlighted by critics who argued the documentation left unanswered technical questions; the autopsy file itself, however, remains the primary source for exactly which boxes were checked and what was written by the medical examiner [1] [8].
5. Toxicology: what is clearly on record and what is not available in these sources
The autopsy file and investigative reports include a toxicology component, and contemporary reporting and the independent counsel’s review addressed medication and substance questions in the broader investigation [1] [4]. However, the specific toxicology numbers, which substances were detected at what concentrations and the toxicologist’s interpretation, are not quoted in the documents and snippets supplied here; therefore this account cannot responsibly assert precise toxicology findings beyond noting that toxicology was performed and discussed in the official investigative materials [1] [3] [4]. Public summaries, including the Starr report and FBI materials, concluded Foster’s death was suicide and factored medical history and medication into that finding, but the underlying toxicology tables are not reproduced in the provided sources for direct citation [4] [9].
6. Bottom line and limits of the public record supplied
The Fairfax County autopsy, as represented in the autopsy document and widely cited summaries, records a gunshot entering Foster’s mouth with an exit defect in the rear of the skull (reported in some sources as roughly 1 x 1.25 inches), and the paperwork and subsequent investigations treated the injury as a single fatal gunshot wound; disagreements between scene descriptions and the autopsy about neck markings and the presence/absence of powder burns or fragments have fueled controversy [1] [2] [6] [8]. The toxicology package is acknowledged in the autopsy and investigative reports, but the supplied sources do not include the detailed toxicology results or concentrations, so any further technical claims about drugs or levels would require consulting the complete autopsy appendices or the independent counsel’s full exhibits [1] [4].