BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—Thomas Brown, on trial for the murder of Sean Cassaro, faces questions from both the prosecution and defense following the testimony of forensic pathologist Jeffrey Hudson. Hudson, with nearly 4,000 autopsies under his belt, determined Cassaro’s cause of death to be manual strangulation, evidenced by neck wounds. The autopsy, conducted approximately 30 hours after Cassaro’s death on January 22, 2023, revealed indented patterns on the neck, consistent with strangulation.
During the trial, Hudson presented graphic autopsy photos to jurors, explaining that strangulation can occur without airway compression when arteries or veins are squeezed. Despite the graphic nature of the evidence, all present chose to stay. Defense attorney Sean Boone questioned Hudson on the duration of the strangulation, to which Hudson responded that the severity of injuries, including hemorrhages and a thyroid fracture, indicated intensity rather than duration. Hudson also noted the difficulty in predicting the immediacy of death in such cases due to individual reactions to trauma.
Brown’s defense argued that Cassaro was seen moving and attempting to stand after the alleged attack, suggesting a delayed death. The trial continues in Crawford County Common Pleas Court under Judge Sean Leuthold.
Thomas Brown asserts that he acted in self-defense.